The Dawn to Darkness
by dib07
Summary: War has come. Sonic has no choice but to accept the inevitable. War against Eggman is suicidal. Shadow seems to be in his own world, and then Silver comes only to get in the way. Sonic is left in turmoil. Warning: Character deaths. COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1 Initiate

A:N; Another new story I decided to post. Those of you who know me or the fanfic story Sunset, I will be commencing it shortly. Just thought I'd let you know.

Now, as a warning, the rating will go up in later chapters. This is an adult read only. There are mentions of death and there are/maybe character deaths and scenes of graphic violence.

I like constructive criticism but I do not like flames or people who like to add nasty comments. If you do not like this story, then do NOT read it.

Right, I think I've covered everything. If not, I'll add it to the next chapter. Thank you.

There maybe grammer/spelling errors.

Disclaimer; I do not own Sonic the hedgehog

The Dawn to Darkness…

Chapter 1: Initiate 

'_But I saw something beautiful, I'm sure – _

_Then someone spoke,_

_And then I didn't see it any more,_

Because I woke.' – Waking up – Eleanor Farjeon 

Sonic was running through the valley like he had an engine inside him. He loved to run. It was one of those things that he excelled at, and he did it every day. Not because he was good at it, but because it felt good. And running was the fundament of all things. If you did not run, you could not escape. If you did not run, where would the future be? If you did not run, there would be no action. No beginning. And no end.

Sonic had learned these rules from when he was very young. And he had never stopped running. Freedom was always his cause. His motivation. For freedom was a gift given to all living things, and those that took it away where sure to be damned in their next life, forever trapped. Forever scorned.

The sun fiercely beat down its rays over the valley. The luscious grass spilled out a thick green hue that glowed. Everything was so healthy, so bright. Sonic felt like he could run… forever…

But he knew he could not. He had his friends to protect. He had duties. Responsibilities. Oh but running was so tempting… to run and never stop… and to never look back…

Well, he could run today. And maybe the next day…

His feet swept so fast over the land he could barely feel the earth beneath him. It was almost like he was flying. And perhaps he was. He felt like a bird… no, a dragon, sweeping over the land until the sky was painted a dark violet.

As he ran, he saw something. Something light and grey coming over to him directly opposite. Sonic considered slowing down, but he didn't want this luxurious feeling to end.

Run, Run, Run!

He got closer. They got closer. Then he saw who it was. Silver. That white hedgehog from the future. Why was he here? What did he want?

Sonic unconsciously slowed down. His quills flowed in the air. His eyes sharpened. Silver did not stop. He did not slow down. He merely passed him, uttering but one word; "Don't." And then he was gone.

Darkness. Where had the sun gone? Where was that empty valley that stretched on and on like a pure grassland?

Sonic opened his eyes and cursed under his breath. It was a stupid dream.

But it was still dark. And when he placed a hand under him to lift himself up, he felt cold iron tiles through his glove.

"What the?"

His first thought was; _I've fallen out of bed again. _But since when did his room start suddenly having cold hard tiles as the flooring? He had wood! Not steel or marble or… The feel of something hard and metal though, gave him an unsettling image of Eggman.

He tried to stand. He would have been able to just hop to his feet if his ankles had not have been chained. He was not in his room, or anywhere safe. And for a few moments, he thought he was back in another nightmare.

"Hello? Anyone? Tails? Amy? Sal?" His voice did not echo. His ears were pricked forwards, trying to scrape out every detail from his senses. He could smell oil. Ammonia and the coppery sting of metal.

This had to be a very bad dream.

He tried to stand again, but that resulted in failure. Instead, he opted for shuffling forward. The whole floor was carpeted in ugly, cold tiles and he kept on crawling with his hands and knees until he bumped into a wall.

A horrible thought ran through him. _I'm trapped…_

Sonic could not let the panic throw him. He had to think. No matter what situation he had found himself in, there had _always_ been a way out of it. And the same had to apply here.

"Think, Sonic, think…" He kept on all fours, though this was rather difficult as the bindings on his ankles kept him from having good mobility.

Though blind and shaking a little from the fear threatening to overwhelm his carefully placed barriers of sanity, he explored with his touch, hearing and smell. He guessed that he was in tight room that had little more room than a big steel box. But every room, no matter how small, had to have a door, or a ventilation system.

Sonic bumped into metal gadgets that littered work surfaces such as metal tables. These only consisted of springs, bolts and screws. Nothing relevant or helpful.

After a while (Sonic had no idea how long he had been searching for, as time had seemed to have stopped existing) he found a switch on the wall, and with little idea on what it might do, he flicked it. His eyes were scorched with light.

"Oh God!" He stumbled backwards, and his chained feet made him fall heavily onto his rump. He held his head in his hands, shielding his eyes from the unforgiving illumination. His vision was speckled in colors of indigo, gold and yellow. But, despite the flash of color, he smiled grimly and lowered his hand from his eyes.

The room was revealed as a drab, prison cell. There were no bars, and no windows. The walls were a sleek silver iron wall and the ceiling was low and covered in grills. On the far side of the wall was a knocked over table and a collection of human gadgetry.

Sonic's emerald eyes were fixed on the only thing that mattered. A door. It had no handle or key hole, but a door led the way forward.

He looked down and saw the cruel iron buckles clasping his feet. Sonic silently rose his upper lip in a snarl. "Back to your old tricks again, are we Eggman?"

A quick surveillance of the walls and ceilings brought no other solutions. And this time, to the hedgehog's relief, there were no cameras to silently watch him.

His hands lunged at the chains on his feet and started to tug at them, searching some kind of flaw in the design. But… how the hell did he get here? How did Eggman capture him when he couldn't even remember anything?

The last thing he remembered, he was getting a call from Stuart, his old friend from the desert in Albion while Sally was outside in the garden. Knothole had been coated in sunshine. There was nothing wrong. Everyone was happy. So why was he here?

"Eggman must have drugged me…" He could jot up hundreds of scenarios in his head of how that fat man had captured him. Though none of them added up. Why here? And why now?

The chains held. They were made out of something Sonic had not seen before, but they felt like metal. The bonds were black, but woven along the strips of black were lacing lines of bright green.

Sonic managed to stand, and looked fiercely at the wall before him, as if his very stare could bring the partition down and set a way for freedom. He clenched his fists, and using his sonic spin, he dived into the door. He could feel the solid material quiver under his ethereal force. Yet it still held. Sonic flew backwards and landed neatly on his feet, and didn't fall over.

"Gotta keep trying…"

His attack sent a shockwave of sound through his chamber. The walls softly vibrated. Then the tremor stopped entirely and the chamber was silent and still once again.

Sonic growled. He hated confinement. Hated a place where he couldn't run. A shiver ran up his spine.

_What if this place, is my coffin?_

"To hell with it." He lurched forwards, and spun again. His world was a blur, but he always set his judgment first on where to attack.

His spines dug like diamond nails into the door. Still, it _did not_… give!

The noises he made from the attacks did resound. In fact that was the only thing that did echo.

He stopped again, eyes narrowed. The reticence was soon back again… until…

"Hello?" There was a voice, though a weak one. Muffled and hard to hear.

Sonic jolted and ran over to the left side of the wall beside the door in the hopes of hearing the voice again.

"Who's there?" He called back. His voice came out strained and panicky, but he didn't care. He just wanted an answer.

The callow voice reached him again, louder this time, as if the individual was also pressing up against the other side of the wall.

"Sonic? Is that you?"

The hedgehog grimly smiled to himself. "Tails!" For once, being trapped in this place, he felt the old confidence stirring within him again. "Are you hurt?" This was his first question to the two-tailed fox. It was his priority to make sure he was all right.

"No." Came the faint reply. "Where are we Sonic? It's dark in here… I'm scared…"

Sonic pressed himself harder against the wall. If only he could get in there with him.

"Tails, there's a switch on the wall somewhere that can turn on a light. Do it now."

There was silence for a bit. Silence Sonic couldn't take. He had silence to begin with, and he didn't want it back. He wanted the sound of the birds, he wanted to hear the crash of the waves in the ocean. He wanted to hear the wind blow. Being in a cell, surrounded by artificial means, made him feel dead inside.

_I'll kill Eggman for this._

Then… "Sonic… I did it! Holy flowers on Mobius, where are we?" He sounded frightened and lost, which was to be expected. Here they were ripped from their normal lives to be placed in this cell without any explanation. It was almost as if they had died and had appeared here, in hell. But Sonic replied with febrile confidence, so that his friend could hear his upbeat voice.

"We'll get out of here Tails. It all looks as though it was built by Eggman. Now look for any clues on how to get out. There should be a door."

"Y-Yes… there's a door." He could imagine Tails leaning against the wall too, to hear the hedgehog clearly. They were but inches apart, yet Sonic felt like he was on the other side of the ocean.

The fox's perturbation rose again. "What if there isn't a way out?"

"There's _always_ a way out Tails." _Don't you dare give up on me._

There was a ventilation shaft above the door nestled in the corner at least five feet above his head. It was big enough to allow access for any blue hedgehog. But it seemed all too easy. Sonic getting in the old ventilation shaft to escape was an old trick. Hadn't Eggman learned by now not to place one where he was trapped? Or had the old egg-breath forgotten with his age?

Well, he couldn't pass up this small and seemingly only chance. He had to go for it.

"Tails, stay put." He swallowed, "I'm coming to get you."

"What?" Confusion edged the fox's voice.

"It's okay. Just wait."

Sonic crouched, ready to make the leap at the ventilation shaft. If he curled and his spines hit the grill right just, he could spin inside easily, whether he had cuffs on his feet or not.

Using a light dash, he jumped, spun, and the next thing he knew, he had entered the small shaft with perfect judgement.

Like all ventilation shafts, the area was tight, and the direction he was going to take was only determined by the bends and openings in the shaft.

The cool air stroked through his quills like autumn air from deep within the tunnel. "Let's see where this will take me…"

Sonic crawled forwards. The only set back was, his cuffs scrapped along the metal as he moved, making a large pinning sound whenever he moved. He cursed lightly, his breath shallower in the tunnel.

Well, there was only the one way forwards, and Sonic took it. He seldom felt anger. Now he felt it burning inside of him like a fire ready to explode. He was going to find a way out… and when he did, there would be hell to pay.

It came to him sometime later that he was in a base. And a big one. Perhaps the biggest he had ever found himself in.

The tunnel led on in one narrow direction. Sonic kept his feet up as best he could to refrain from the cuffs dragging on the slim metal. This however, burned his knees and he was back to crawling helplessly along. All the time he knew he was moving further away from Tails. He had no choice. Going further away hopefully meant he could get him out all the sooner by finding a switch to release him, or…

Soon, Sonic came across a grill paving the floor of the tunnel, allowing him to discern through the panels and into a room. The grills were only a meter long before he went back into the tight passage again, but he would worry about that later. The sight he saw almost took his breath away.

Shadow…

The black and red quilled hedgehog was standing right beneath him with his arms folded, in his usual defensive stance. And he was talking to someone. Whoever that was, Sonic could not see him.

"Doctor…" Shadow's soft voice was calm, and unnaturally patient.

The hedgehog received a resounding retort from the unseen speaker. "Shadow, don't think you can bribe me with your silly excuses. I am the controller."

"But I did what you asked." Sonic regarded Shadow with ample curiosity and vacillated from moving any further.

"Yes, you did, and you shall be rewarded. Just not yet. I have things to do. Far more important things. Now leave."

The hedgehog stood proud for a moment or two, then unexpectedly gave in to Eggman's orders. With little emotion flickering across his austere appearance, Shadow turned and walked out of Sonic's view. He heard no more.

_Shadow is working for Doctor Eggman? _It was absurd. But Shadow had been his way for months. He never seemed to be on one side. He was always flitting back and forth like a grasshopper.

_Figures._

Still, whatever was going on between Eggman and Shadow was the least of his concerns. He had a mission to carry out.

Sonic crawled onwards, feeling extremely cramped and hot despite the cool air rifling through his dense fur. The surface of the tunnel was hard to grip and the touch of it burned at his knees as he used them to drag himself forwards. He had been so fueled with fear and anger, that he had forgotten that he could have bashed through the grate after Shadow had left and stormed his exit there.

The fork led either right or left. He knew Tails was somewhere to the right, so he chose that path. He was so tempted to recline where he was, and allow the fetish belligerence of this world to wash away into his dreams. But no. He was born with intransigence and he would free Tails.

_I wonder if Shadow knows that we're trapped here? I wonder…_

In due time, he was sure to find out.

The dour narrow tunnel rolled on endlessly in front. There was no light up ahead. Just pure darkness. Soon Sonic was reduced to crawling forward without any direction, and with just the walls as guidance. The pain in his knees forced him to stop at regular intervals, and he panted rapidly, trying to formulate plans in his head.

_Gotta rescue Tails… gotta rescue…_

Then… light…

It shone in a bright yellow hue round the next corner, and the rift of it made his emerald eyes glow. The exit!

Sonic hastened his sluggish movements and rolled out of the gap, which was probably a bad idea at the time. He fell and hit the floor below. Using his quick reactions, he threw himself to his feet and shot swift glances at his surroundings. He was in a corridor, which in a way resembled the shaft complex, except the walls were twenty feet high and there were bright lights everywhere.

Well, Sonic considered himself semi-free. He was out of his cell, but not out of captivity.

Tails had to be somewhere nearby. Sonic felt in his senses had he hadn't strayed too far from the fox's location. And if he was right, where he saw Shadow must have been only further down this corridor. He didn't know whether it was going to be a good or a bad thing if he ran into the black hedgehog. For now, he preferred to avoid all contact with those who worked with Eggman.

_Now for these cuffs…_

As Sonic bent low and used his teeth upon the metal that cruelly gripped his ankles, he heard footsteps approaching. Fear shot through him like electricity and he pelted his sublime body back into the shaft.

The footsteps sounded heavy and slow, as if this someone was either wounded, or heavily built. The walls glowed with sliver metal that seemed to scream out threnodies.

Sonic narrowed his eyes… waiting for the enemy to show itself…

The person came into view and Sonic lunged to the attack. He wanted to attack anything. He was trapped, confused, and desperate for answers.

His acrimonious pounce sent him directly into the opponent and they both twirled on the floor until they hit the wall.

"Sonic!"

The hedgehog's ears pricked at his name and looked up. Immediately he blushed and jumped back, dusting loose fur off him and smiling guiltily. "Ah, gee, sorry Knuckles. I could have sworn you were a robot!"

The violet-eyed echidna scoffed and tried to stand himself. "How could you mistake me for one of _them_? Do I look metal to you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Good!" The red guardian fixed him a good stare. Then laughed when he saw the chains. "Need help with those?"

"It would be appreciated!"

Knuckles looked briefly over his shoulder. His long dreads swung with each toss of his head like a mane. Then he locked Sonic with those determined eyes of his and set to work breaking the chains. "I've got a few things to ask you, Sonic. And I'm sure you have a few questions of your own."

A:N; To be continued


	2. Chapter 2 Creeping Shadows

Disclaimer; We do not own Sonic the hedgehog but we own a Sonic the squirrel.

Thanks to Mystery001 for reviewing! This chapter is dedicated to you!

Chapter 2: Creeping shadows

'_Nobody has come to burn them,_

_Long green grass grows up between them,_

_Up between white boughs that lie_

_Dead and empty, dry,_

_That once were full of leaves and sky.' Felled Trees – Ruth Dallas_

"You go first." Sonic's voice drifted in the air. The usurp of panic had left him, now that he was with an old friend.

Knuckles sighed. His body quivered with indelible umbrage. He grated with impertinence; "I woke up in a cell. This is all Eggman's doing! I don't even remember being attacked!"

"What was the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

Knuckles placed a paw to his head, "I don't know!" Sonic looked at him helplessly. "Okay! I was… I was guarding the master emerald… like I always do! There! You happy?"

"I was in Knothole." Sonic looked about the place as the echidna hammered a fist into the offending clasps. They snapped in half and the hedgehog was free. "I saw no badniks, no enemies… no nothing…"

"Well, Eggman found a way. I'll tear his head off so hard that he'll never stop bleeding… and…"

Sonic rose to his feet. His knees ached from the ventilation shaft, but it was a slight hindrance. "We can't talk here. Eggman has scouts everywhere. If he finds out we've escaped…"

"I know."

"And Tails… I heard Tails… we've got to get back and…"

"They have Tails?" Knuckles growled somberly. "Those bastards!"

He checked behind him again, nose high in the air. "I broke down my cell wall. But the funny thing was, the bang was loud enough to be detected. So why isn't anyone coming for me?"

"Did you have cuffs too?"

"Yeah, of course. I snapped them off like tissue paper."

Sonic shrugged. "I take this as a good sign." He told him. "But we have to get Tails."

"Where is he?"

"I'm not sure. Follow me."

Knuckles had no choice. He was on his way out and he was going to drop down every wall that stood between him and freedom. And it was probably the only way he could make an exit. But so far, they hadn't faced any guards.

Though in better spirits now that he had Knuckles with him too, he felt very sordid and indignant. Not only had Eggman got his sleazy hands on him, but Tails and Knuckles! How… how had he managed it?

"I wanna confront Eggman when we're all safe." He rasped as Knuckles trotted alongside him, "I want answers."

"No kidding. But I ain't seeing him. Lord knows what other tricks he has up his sleeves."

"But if we don't know, how are we going to prevent this from happening again?"

"Who says he's gonna tell you?"

"Point. Looks like I'll have to beat it out of him." They rushed down the winding corridor. It all seemed like one big aberration. Everything Eggman made was so ugly and even the walls dripped evil.

"Look on the bright side," Red continued huskily, "at least none of us are hurt… yet…"

Sonic didn't answer. A visceral anger withered under his countenance. How dare Eggman take them like this? It was just… so cowardly.

Knuckles took to the silence and was only too happy to acquiesce.

When Sonic was sure he was lost in the opulent complex, he stopped and looked about. Everything looked the same. For all he knew, the complex was built in a round shape, and they had been going round in circles like rats in a maze.

"I… I don't know where he is." His uncertainty made him angry. He had never been _unsure _about anything. He was Sonic, and he was a leader. He always knew where things were heading. Always.

Knuckles didn't mind Sonic's sudden lapse in judgment. In fact, he jumped on the opportunity to show his support. "Try calling for him. He might hear. This place is as dead as any. No guards."

This did little to ameliorate him. There were always badniks. There was always danger. Though he heeded the echidna's advice all the same. The quicker he could find Tails, the sooner they were out of this place.

"Tails!" He cried.

Knuckles joined in, making it a comely chorus. "Tails? Shout if you can hear us!"

"Tails!"

The impertinent walls gave no clue. There were no doors. Sometimes they walked past panels that harbored tubes and wires.

"Tails!"

This was getting ridiculous. Sonic wanted to hit something. He was even tempted to ask Knuckles to bust a wall and see what happened then. But…

"Sonic!" The reply was faint and far away, but Sonic's hearing was so sensitive, it sounded like it had been uttered right beside him.

"Tails!"

Knuckles smirked, and this made his cold eyes sparkle with hidden warmth. "We've found him."

Together they walked closer to the walls, calling. Tails replied in a rivulet of sound until it tenured in the corridor. "I'm here! I'm trapped, help me!"

Knuckles looked at Sonic with a wild glint in his eyes and the hedgehog stepped back to allow the echidna some space. He knew what to do. The moment he was out the way, Knuckles cried, "Tails, step away from the wall. I'm going to break through."

"Okay."

The echidna raised a gloved fist above his head and swung his body one hundred and eighty degrees. Then, with enough force to break the hull of a tanker, Knuckles thrust himself forward and his fist punched through the rock like it was sand. The plaster and steel crumpled, then gave way, revealing a hole large enough for a human to crawl under. Only when the smoke and dust from the rubble had cleared did they see Tails step through. He looked tired and shaken. Sonic dashed to his side and pulled him into a rough, deferential hug. "Oh buddy! It's good to have you back!"

"What's going on, guys?" His large eyes blinked, his bottom lip quivering. He looked unharmed. Just fatigued.

Sonic pulled away from him and eyed him seriously. "I don't know, but we'll get some answers. I'll make sure of it."

Just when it looked like it was going to be a free ticket home, the alarm rang out like a lonesome scream. It filled the corridors like a pulsing, hot fever.

"Shit!" Knuckles cursed. Little lights that were never noticed before where now tinted red and it bathed the corridors in blood.

Tails covered his long ears with his hands. The shrieks were deafening. He could barely hear Sonic utter, "come on! We need to get out of here fast before the badniks come!"

Next, they were running. Tails had Sonic's hand clasped over his, and he was pulled forwards until he was gliding rather than running alongside the hedgehog. Knuckles had his fangs bared, and to any creature standing in his path, he looked as frightening as a monster.

His fists chiseled their way into the next wall, opening up a dead-end into another corridor. This one looked identical to the first. But with little choice, Knuckles led the way and they were out into the new chamber. This did little to console them. A dozen shimmering red tipped robots with razor blades as arms and guns hoisted on their shoulders came storming upon them like hornets. Sonic spun into his lethal ball and slammed into a badnik that tipped over and crashed into a second. Knuckles made sure Tails was safe behind them before crunching his fist into offensive metal. He felt that satisfying _clung _as his attack ripped apart the badnik's shell. Its silver innards spilled outwards like intestines and its black blood of oil formed a rivulet round its twisted corpse.

Sonic spin-dashed into a horde of guards. Some surpassed his height. They had small heads and eyes that poured out laser beams. Their sheathing was thick, making them almost insurmountable to defeat with a few good calculated blows. They would have lost if not for Knuckles. He drove forward like a battering ram or an organic tank and blasted his way through until none were left standing. At their feet was nothing but metal cadavers and black oil marring the once clean floors of Doctor Robotnik's base.

"Great job, Red." Sonic gasped, his ears still pricked forward for danger. The corridor was still and calm again.

Knuckles lifted his shoulders in a half-shrug. His face was a mask of indifference. But deep inside, they all knew these robots were getting stronger all the time. Sonic's worst fears were; what if they got so strong, they never had a hope of defeating them?

_No. Everything has a weakness, living or otherwise. Nothing is impossible._

Tails shivered, his hands inclining to fists. "Let's get the heck out of here!"

With pliant speed, they were off again and they would have kept going if it was not for Shadow who walked into their path. His red and black quills were unmistakable, nor was the sly grin that veneered his proud visage.

"Sonic." He said.

"Shadow." The blue hedging nodded in return.

The black hedgehog's devoid eyes gazed at each of them in turn.

Knuckles snarled. "We don't have time to stand here and look at each other. We never have time! Now stand aside, Shadow, or you'll look as bad as the dismantled robots back there."

Shadow's stern exposure didn't change. But he did smirk. "I always knew you'd all escape."

"I said stand aside!"

It was like gently fingering the trigger. Either one of them could trigger the bullet and all hell would break loose. The tension built. Sonic's ears were ringing badly from the stinging alarms that would bring out more enemies.

Staring blankly, Shadow said calmly, "do you want my help or not?" And his cunning, confident smile was gone.

"Help?" Knuckles spat, "I'll give you help!" He went to rush forward. It was always his signature move before launching his mega-ton fist at the opposition. Sonic had to grab his shoulders to hold him back.

"Red! We need to find a way out of here… and if we have Shads…"

"I don't care!" Knuckles shouted, "I'm not teaming up with that whore! He's a traitor! He works with Robotnik!"

The black and crimson hedgehog folded his arms over his downy chest and seemed to wait. Tails stayed in Sonic's shadow, afraid of being caught in the open. For no matter how he tried, the fear consumed him and he couldn't break free.

"Shadow," Sonic said placidly, "do you know the way to the exit?"

"It's a trap!" Knuckles hollered angrily.

Shadow's brow creased only slightly. "Yes."

Tails heard the horrible _'clunk clunk'_ sound of more guards coming from behind them. His fur stood on end in panic. "Sonic!" He whimpered.

Knuckles was actually getting dizzy and feverish from all the blinding lights. Sonic's fur kept going from blue to red from the lights.

Sonic turned to his friends. "We'll follow him. It's our only chance."

Knuckles looked at him in defeat. How could Sonic consider joining sides with Shadow? It was preposterous. "Fine." He barely spoke it. "We're all doomed now anyway."

Sonic smiled grimly and shot forward. Shadow turned and started running down the corridor. They all followed in a line, with Knuckles at the rear.

"The Doctor built this complex to make it confusing." Shadow was droning when Sonic ran alongside him, "this whole place is a prison. There were others just like you, but they all died of malnutrition. You would have gone the same way if not for the torture."

"Shads, how did we end up here? What did Eggman do to capture us so easily?"

Shadow's features expressed a slight frown of uneasiness. "I helped him."

"You _what?_" He wished he knew more. He wished there was more time. A door slid open to their left whereupon more metal soldiers poured out of the orifice. A stream of bullets flared out, aiming for them with up-most precision. Shadow warped out of harm's way and reappeared at the flank of his enemies. Then he simply aimed for their tiny heads with his dark energy and with shuddering penitence; they fell one by one like dominos. Knuckles didn't even need a raise a fist. They were all defeated.

"I don't think Eggman will be pleased that you're destroying his own robots, traitor." The red echidna claimed bitterly. He was panting a little from the run. "But despite your display, you're still the enemy."

Shadow, at this remark, narrowed his eyes.

Sonic grinned and stepped between them. "Let's continue this quarrel when we're out of this place, huh? We're altogether now, right? And as long as we stay this way, we'll be fine!"

"Humph!" Knuckles placed his paws on his hips. "I just hope the master emerald isn't gone."

Tails stepped up timidly, and addressed Shadow carefully, as if the hedgehog was a timed bomb. "Shadow, were we the only ones caught? Is Amy okay? And the others?"

It was a good question. One Sonic had overlooked.

"You are the only ones." Shadow whispered in his usual soft voice. "Eggman only had need for you three."

"Why?" Knuckles snapped, foaming at the mouth like a crazy lunatic.

Again, Shadow turned and ran on. Sonic was right behind him. They couldn't stop and discuss the situation. Not yet. They had lost too much time as it was. But could Sonic really trust and believe his rival? He didn't know. All he knew was, Shadow wasn't the type that lied. He changed sides sometimes, and went about his own ways to achieve certain goals, but he didn't lie. He wasn't evil.

Shadow took a different turn. He went down a slim narrow tube, leaving the corridor but the red alarm lights and the deafening sirens followed them wherever they went. The routes were confusing. Sonic felt sick with inundation.

A steel door loomed ahead and without hesitating, Shadow keyed in a pass-code on the panel and the door slid open to reveal a generator.

"This is the heart of the complex." Shadow enunciated lightly, "this is the power core. Where Eggman keeps the chaos emerald."

Knuckles inhaled thinly. "Chaos emerald?"

The black and red quilled hedgehog was right. Incased behind glass in the center of the big metal dome-shaped engine of a generator was the green emerald.

"We need it." Said Shadow. "I need it."

"Who said we're gonna let you have it?" Knuckles asked, while doing his best to keep himself from yelling. He knew from experience that Shadow with an emerald didn't add up to anything good.

"I'll take the emerald." Sonic uttered, "I don't want it falling into the wrong hands."

Tails gulped, as he frequently looked behind him, half expecting to see a robot creeping towards them. If Shadow knew the emerald was here all along, why didn't he take it there and then? Something wasn't right.

"I'm taking it." Knuckles marched up to the large generator and lifted his fist.

Sonic heard himself shouting; "No, Knux! Stop!"

Knuckles wasn't about to be persuaded. With a flash of his sharp knuckles, he broke the glass that kept the emerald imprisoned and it spilled out. The generator's source of power was lost, and it started to bellow out clouds of hot steam. The alarm shrieked even louder. Sonic knew he was going to go deaf.

Shadow went forward and scooped the emerald into his hands. With a quick reaction, Knuckles ploughed into the dark hedgehog, making him drop it. The emerald toppled down and smacked the hard metal below.

"You fools!" Rasped Shadow, "careful!"

Sonic zipped in and grabbed the emerald mutinously. "Lemme use it! It's the only way!"

"I am the only way!" Shadow rose his voice, and it was edged with melancholia. Again Knuckles got in the way and kicked both the hedgehogs down. The emerald flew up and he tried to snatch it out of the air. However, out of his sheer desperation, the emerald slid out of his gloved paws like soap and it fell. This time it did not hit the floor as intended. It slipped through a gap in the design of the metal floor, and was lost.

Sonic almost shrieked and shoved his hand down the gap, hoping that he might be able to reach it. The hole however, seemed to go down forever. "How are we gonna get it back!" He cried.

Knuckles pulled at his dreads. "Shit."

"You bunch of idiots!" Shadow sneered, red eyes shimmering from infuriation, "I should never have helped you."

Sonic eyed him sharply and was about to retort when they heard Doctor Robotnik's voice booming through the complex like poison.

"_I see you've escaped. No harm done. Smile and wave. You're on camera." _The human said through the adjacent speakers littered in the corners of the ceiling.

Tails tried to hide his face.

"_It's a shame I've only just caught on… you see I was busy planning… ahh planing yes… I love doing that…"_

"Get to the point, Eggman." Sonic said tightly. His eyes skimmed the generator that was still hissing. The rocking shrieks of the alarm suddenly died but the flashing red lights remained.

"_What point is there? Is there a point to your struggles? Is there a point to your existence? No! Of course not! But you still live… I'm afraid."_

"The wanker." Knuckles whispered.

"_Now," _the human continued, "_Shadow, I hate to leave the dirty work to you, but every little chore needs doing sometime. Destroy them."_

Horrified, Sonic, Knuckles and the twin-tailed fox turned and stared at Shadow, completely aghast. Sonic forced himself to relax and allow his reeling mind to pull back. Shadow was an exceptional fighter, that he would admit any day, but without a chaos emerald, he wasn't a huge threat.

Knuckles knew this was coming. He cracked his knuckles and grimly smiled. "So be it."

Shadow discerned them angrily, like he was assessing them. His ears flattened against his skull and that was never a good sign. Sonic was ready. Then…

"No."

"_What?" _It was so rare to hear surprise in Robotnik's voice. Sonic wished he could hear it again. _"Shadow? Do NOT disobey me! I know how to take you apart!"_

The black and crimson hedgehog looked up at the speakers. "No." He repeated.

Knuckles back-peddled until his tail touched the wall. His eyes were clouded over with confusion.

There was a pause. _"If that if your final decision, you despicable critter, then fine. I warned you. You will pay for this, Shadow. And not just with your life."_

A short ping followed and the communication was cut off.

Sonic shook himself. "What was that all about?"

Shadow walked sedately forwards, and pressed another code into a large steel door, that resided beside the overheating reactor. "We're leaving." Was all he said.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3 The Dawn

A/N: We're back!

Silver: Am I in it yet? Am I in it yet? Am I in it yet?

Shadow: SHUT UP!

Disclaimer: Yeah, same as last time. We do not own Sonic's slippers, his jumper, his top…

Chapter 3: The Dawn…

'_Lie in the dark and let them go_

_Lie in the dark and listen.' Lie in the Dark and Listen – Noel Coward_

_He could have attacked us. We might have won if we combined our strength and worked as a team… but he could have done it… and we could all be dead. But he didn't … why?_

Knuckles did not voice his concerns aloud. He was a very serious, enigmatic echidna who preferred to keep to himself. And his rock-solid pride stopped him from making such assumptions aloud. But thoughts were different. They spoke, and he couldn't control his thoughts. He just listened to them.

There was a last throng of robots. They came with stinging lasers and heavy loaded guns. With Shadow in the front, taking the full brunt of the attack, Knuckles did little to save his own hide. And then, after seamless corridors and unfamiliar alien rooms, they were free. The open sky had never looked so beautiful.

The ground had been upturned and for miles all around the base they were trapped in was legions of dead, barren land. They were not in any place familiar. And if Knuckles had any idea where they were, he would have known that Eggman or whomever had taken them far from their homes.

After they were out of the egg-shaped dome that bore all the characteristics of Eggman's ugly buildings, they didn't stop running. Tails resorted to flying. It felt incredibly good to have the freedom to fly.

Sonic knew they were in Bimbol's territory. Bimbol was a lone lizard that liked to live on dead land near Eggman's factories. He scrounged around like a scavenger, seeking treasures from the waste the factories produced, and living off oil from the robots. It was sickening to think that a once-normal creature had resorted its eternal life to this.

The only good thing was, nobody came to Bimbol's land, and it was a hard-to-reach area anyway. Now they had no choice but to cross it.

"Well, so far so good." Sonic murmured aloud. There was no sign of pursuit behind them, and no visual on the stupid lizard. It looked like they were home-free.

With an extra burst of speed, he rejoined Shadow, leaving Tails and Knuckles to trail behind.

"Wanna explain anything, old buddy?" He asked when he looked at Shadow.

"I'm not your buddy." He claimed rather indignantly.

"Oh." He thought of another approach. "Why did you help us?"

"…"

"Come on, Shads."

"Don't call me by that name."

"Okay!" He smiled lightly and they ran on in silence. Shadow's hover boots allowed his strides to pace him forwards without using much effort. It was almost like running on air.

"You know," Sonic said after a time when they saw a row of mountains in the far distance, "I thought you were living on ARK. I didn't know you came back down here."

Shadow scoffed but said nothing.

The sky was leathered in a fog of darkness as the sun kissed the horizon and started to melt into blood red and bronze colors that streaked the skies. Sonic could not see well in the darkness, and advised that they stop and rest for the night. Knuckles wasn't as keen.

"We can't stop." He was saying modestly, "what if they're coming for us now? We have to keep moving until we can be sure we are safe!"

Tails joined his woes. "Knux is right. What if Eggman captures us again like before?"

Sonic ran a hand through his soft quills. "Then I'll go on guard duty, and we can take turns!"

"That's no good." Knuckles sighed and shook his head. "You can't see in the dark."

"Then you can do night watch."

"No."

Tails sat down on the dusty floor and silently shook. He was near exhaustion but he didn't want to stop. He was frightened that they'd be caught again like wild animals and shoved back in their cages.

The horizon was lined with gold now and the last sprinkling of warmth went with it too. The stars were bright overhead and Tails lifted his head to stare forlornly at them. "I want to go home…"

"And so you shall." Sonic had heard him and sat down beside him. "But we're all tired. I bet even Shadow is, but he'd never admit to it."

Tails exhaled loudly, feeling hollow inside. His stomach was screaming in hunger. He wasn't sure when he last ate. "But what if…"

"Nothing bad will happen." Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

Knuckles grumbled and kicked a stone around as he paced restlessly. "I hope the master emerald's okay. If its gone when I get back…"

Shadow stood off to the side, away from the circle of friends and stared deep into the darkness. The last smudge of sun went at last, and the full throes of night enveloped them in a cold blanket.

"I say we light a fire." Sonic said cheerfully, "that way we can keep warm."

"Are you insane?" Knuckles vociferated madly, "they'll be able to see the fire absolutely miles away! That would be like going up to them and telling them where we are!"

"Cool it knucklehead!" Sonic playfully replied, "robots aren't human. I don't think they'll be able to tell the difference between a fire and an outcrop of rocks…"

"I don't care! Eggman's machines aren't fucking stupid! If they were, we would have won this battle by now!"

Shadow started making a low guttural sound in his throat. Sonic stood up and was about to approach him, thinking that maybe he was upset when the black hedgehog burst into uncontrolled fits of dark laughter. The sound of it sent tremors down Tails' spine.

"Oh piss off, Shadow." Knuckles growled, "and don't go crazy on us now."

"Leave him along, Knux. He's having another one of his fits again." Sonic led Knuckles away so that they could talk in privacy.

"Well, we can't very much continue now," the guardian sighed and rubbed the back of his head with his gloved paw, "the sun's gone and we might lose our sense of direction. I don't want to wind up going back there again by mistake!"

Sonic nodded. He could barely see his old friend in the blackness, but the light of the stars allowed him to see his dark silhouette.

"How about we find some rocks and make a fire beside them, so it will be harder to see from a distance?" He offered.

Knuckles smiled in the darkness. "We'll need some wood."

Old rotten wood was not hard to come by. Everything was so dead in the area anyway. The only problem was actually trying to see it. Knuckles did most of the collecting, since he could see clearly in the darkness.

After a pile of wood had been accumulated, Sonic begged Shadow to light it.

"You've got chaos spear. Just aim it at the wood and…"

"No." Shadow walked so far away that he was completely out of sight for Sonic.

Dispirited but not beaten, Sonic grabbed two small pieces of rock and rubbed them together so hard and so fast that sparks were flying before he realized it. And before long, he, Knuckles and Tails were round a burning fire. Now Sonic could see their faces round the fire. Anything further than that was coated in blackness.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep." Tails claimed resignedly. "I can't believe what Eggman did. And I can't believe we were caught that easily."

"Or were we?" Asked Sonic. "Eggman got help, from Shadow."

"Aye." Knuckles agreed tiredly.

"Oh… why would he help Eggman?" Tails shivered and hugged himself.

Knuckles stretched and leaned against a rock. It was late, he wasn't sure how late. His eyelids were growing heavier and heavier. "Maybe it isn't a good idea to have Shadow around." He said. "He could bring us back to Robotnik… in fact he's probably waiting for us to fall asleep right now."

"Where is Shadow?" Sonic asked.

Knuckles did a short nod of his head to the left. "Over there, presumably asleep. But he's probably just faking. Its what he does best."

"What, sleeping?" Asked Tails.

"No! Faking!"

"Oh…" He pouted, feeling a little dumb.

Sonic shook his head. "If he wanted us back there, he wouldn't have helped us. Don't forget that he openly disobeyed Eggman. Remember?"

"Yeah… I remember." Knuckles folded his arms, looking cross and bothered.

Sonic sighed and allowed his eyes to close briefly. Then he looked down at his sneakers. _We're always running all the time. When will it stop? Yeah… we run… we fight… but…_

He tried to make out Shadow's form in the darkness and soon gave up. _We aren't free. None of us are until Eggman is permanently destroyed._

"Shadow's gonna have to explain everything soon." Knuckles opened his maw for a yawn, then lazily snapped it shut again. "Goodnight, Sonic. May you sleep well."

"You too."

Tails reluctantly closed his eyes too. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The embers of the fire warmed Sonic's fur and made him think of happier times. Still, the light of the fire circling round them was the only comfort he had, and he soon succumbed himself to a tide of dreams.

_Who says you have to fight?_

_I was born into this world alone and I will die in this world alone!_

_Don't you see? Don't you see!_

_Why didn't you ask for help?_

_It ends now!_

_Sonic!_

_Let me help you!_

"Wait!" Sonic shot up from the ground, covered in his own cold sweat. He breathed heavily, his mouth agape. Wasn't he at home? Asleep in bed? Now he remembered… they were running from Eggman.

Knuckles and Tails were still fast asleep. They were curled round the burnt twigs that once harbored a warm fire. Now a small remnant of smoke curled round the lips of the twigs in a grey haze.

At least it was bright morning, with no foreboding darkness to make him feel uneasy. Only thing was, they had slept way longer than planned.

He rubbed his head and shivered from the cold sweat his fur was veneered in. "What a dream." The annoying part of it was, he couldn't even remember what it was about. "Oh well." He skimmed the dank area for any movement. Nothing. Just eternal dead earth. "Wait… Shadow!"

There was no sign of him. It was like he had… vanished.

Sonic left the sleeping duo and allowed the blood to circulate in his legs. Sleeping awkwardly on a few rocks for a pillow was never a good way to catch 40 winks. Soon he came across what he wanted to see. Footprints. And they belonged to Shadow. He saw the small circular indents of the holes that allowed the air to pass through, thus making his speed possible.

He followed these footprints eagerly like someone on a treasure hunt. But, sadly and to his unveiling disappointment, the footprints stopped at the base of a rock. He had probably teleported somewhere far away. It was not like he had morphed _through _the rock.

"Looking for someone?"

Sonic snapped his head upwards so fast and suddenly, he strained his neck. Sitting on top of the large rock like a proud statue was Shadow.

"How…?" Sonic mumbled, while rubbing his sore neck.

The black hedgehog had his legs crossed and his eyes were hooded. "Nice sleep?"

"Yeah."

Shadow nodded as if in approval and hopped down from the rock. "Come. I want to talk to you."

"Okay."

They walked slowly together up a short hill. Sonic allowed the silence to glide over them. The wind sang and the warm sun made him feel secure and ready for anything.

They stood on the top of the hill and looked down. The rows of mountains in the north looked much closer than they were yesterday.

"I didn't want to live in the ARK anymore." Shadow spoke quietly, and his hooded eyes stayed focused on the mountains ahead. "When you've been in a place full of memories for too long… it does things to your mind." His hands clenched into fists out of habit. "So, I left about two months ago. I didn't know what to do anymore. I wanted to protect Mobius, but the help of a chaos emerald would make it so much easier. So, I went to the only person who I knew would be able to get me one."

"Eggman…" Sonic whispered.

Shadow fell silent for a least a whole minute before proceeding. "I knew how sordid and evil that human was. But I was told that if I captured you, Knuckles and Tails within twenty-four hours, I could have a chaos emerald. So I did it."

"And then what happened?"

Shadow's opulent eyes balefully gazed out at the wilderness around them. "Eggman did not keep to his side of the bargain. He didn't give me the emerald."

Sonic remembered the conversation he heard when he was in the ventilation shaft.

"_Doctor…" _

"_Shadow, don't think you can bribe me with your silly excuses. I am the controller."_

"_But I did what you asked."_

"_Yes, you did, and you shall be rewarded. Just not yet. I have things to do. Far more important things. Now leave."_

So that's how it all went.

"How did you…" Sonic wasn't quite sure how to phrase it. "How did you… capture us without our knowledge of it…"

"Easy. Chaos control."

"But you need an emerald for that!"

"Yes." Shadow began to anxiously toy with the gold rings round his wrists; "the Doctor gave me a fake. A copy of the real emerald. It had enough power for me to do chaos control once. And once was enough to steal into your homes, stop time and warp you back into Eggman's base."

Sonic swallowed nervously. "So that's how you did it!"

"Aren't you angry?" Now Shadow's incandescent eyes pierced Sonic's. His reticent voice growled, "Eggman could have killed you. Why are you not mad at me?"

Sonic considered the question. In a way, back at the base, he had been a little vexed. Tails was in danger, and the guardian too had been removed from his home. They were kidnapped and it was done in a cowardly fashion. But in the end, they had come out okay, and now he knew Shadow's motive for such a heinous act.

"I'm sorry, Shadow, but I gotta tell ya, I love the adventure! Next time though, leave Tails and Knuckles out of it!"

Shadow lifted his upper lip in a snarl. For one horrifying moment, Sonic thought he was going to attack him. But Shadow merely sneered and started walking away.

"Wait!" Sonic kept astride with him. "If you're looking for some punishment, forget it! And don't do anything brutally angsty either!"

"Go away."

"No, seriously. Have you ever considered joining our side before? You are a protector are you not?"

"I said GO AWAY!"

Sonic flinched and held back. After the shock he regained his composure and followed his old rival. "Do you want me to say it? I'm not angry Shads! There I said it! I forgive you!"

"Shut up!" Shadow turned and rose a fist to hit him. The pounding anger in his head gave way when he saw Sonic cringe. Then he said in a prudent tone, "I'm leaving. There is nothing for me here. Emerald or no emerald, I'll move on. Farewell, Sonic. You won't have to worry about me again."

Sonic grabbed his arm before he could leave. "Shadow, you can't run from your problems."

"Yes you can. Don't you do it?"

Sonic bit his lip at that comment. "What I mean to say is, you can't fix things by ignoring them. I have an idea, one that could benefit the both of us. You're looking for a purpose, and I'm looking for some payback. Got the hint?"

Shadow shook Sonic' grip off him. "No!"

"Then let me explain and you may want to consider your options. I haven't told Tails and Red this but…"

After Sonic had confessed his idea, Shadow decided to stay.

Dib07: I hope you enjoyed that chapter. It was slow, but things must come together before, yes, that's right, the war! Lol! And there will be deaths! LOL!

Sonic: 'gulp'!

TBC


	4. Chapter 4 To Darkness

Dib07: Well, here it is, the next chapter. We're nearly at the whole war thing. Yup.

Chapter 4: To Darkness…

'_Grant me thy dark command.' – Funeral in Carpathia – Cradle of Filth_

"What?"

They had spoken long into the day whilst travelling further and further from Eggman's prison but also deeper in Bimbol's ravaged lands. The mountains towered above them like natural castles and their peaks were barely viable. Sonic was awed by their size. He guessed they were millions of years old, and had been brought up out from the earth much like a volcano.

Knuckles' reverberating retort rattled Tails' head. "You are _all_ insane! And I know why! It's because of Shadow! Ever since we dragged him along with us he's been… he's been rearranging your mind!"

Sonic laughed at Knuckles' admonishment. Knuckles responded to Sonic's cheerful giggles by flinging him a look of pure irascible anger.

It was early afternoon and the going was hard. On any simple day, on his own, Sonic would have dashed through these Bad Lands and be back in Knothole in less than an hour. He couldn't do that though; he wouldn't leave his friends. And it was getting worse. None of them had eaten for nearly two days now, and there was no food or water in this dead place but earth and mud. Knuckles tried to ignore this fact and kept his nose high in optimism. Now though, he too felt the hard effects of starvation. And his mood wasn't helped when Sonic informed him of his plan.

"We've done it before," Knuckles coughed and panted, his throat dry, "and it didn't work. What makes you think doing it again with change anything?"

"We won't even make it back home again!" Tails whined miserably, "so why are we talking about this?"

Sonic sounded final. "We have to."

War. It was inevitable. But a full-scale war meant it was either a win or lose situation. And Knuckles didn't think they had the numbers to win. Once more, Eggman's troops were all soulless metal machines. They on the other hand, were flesh and blood.

"I don't like it. What if… you died, Sonic? What about the causalities? And the consequences? To what point?"

That's what Eggman had said. To what point? To what purpose?

"For freedom. For independence." Sonic answered petulantly. "Don't you want that? If there's a chance of that, though it might be slim, isn't it worth taking?"

Knuckles thought for a moment. Then he opened his mouth and said, "maybe." He huffed to himself, lips tight. For a while their feet pressing into the earth in a melodious pattern was all that was heard, that and their hard draws for air. When he spoke again, they were in the cool shadows of the mountains whereupon they stopped for a brief rest. "Sally will be on my side though. She won't like this."

"Let's just hope she'll think of her grandchildren." Sonic sat down and gathered clumps of sandy mud into his hands. Keeping his hands busy kept him from feeling his fatigue.

Shadow stepped over to them and Sonic fell quiet. "I say we strike where the Doctor is at his most vulnerable." He said sullenly.

"And where's that?" Knuckles asked in a gruff demand.

"We make assault on the smaller factories to the Far East, just beside the shoreline beyond the Emerald Hill Zone."

Sonic intervened. "We can't do that. It will be like repeating what we've always done. We need to attack the heart of Eggman's forces."

"Not… his headquarters!" Knuckles gasped, "haven't you ever heard tales of the thousands of armies there? We'd be crushed!"

"If we wage war, that's the best place to do it." Sonic replied sternly. "Otherwise it will be a lost cause and there will be no point to the rebellion."

Shadow dipped his head in thought. "It's risky."

"You don't say!" Knuckles growled at him sardonically.

Tails took off his sneakers to relieve his sweaty feet. He really didn't like the idea of war, but it was also a good opportunity to make a new flying machine that could attack from the skies. That would benefit them without a doubt. "We'll have to inform and get everybody for this." Sonic continued, "and not just friends from Knothole, but everywhere. You Knuckles have contacts, yes?"

"I guess."

"Shadow?"

The hedgehog looked away.

The guardian of the emeralds blinked slowly and drew little pictures with his knuckle in the muddy sand. "We're a slight force against someone who can easily quadruple our numbers. Don't you forget that. And if we do this, Sonic, what if our numbers fall? Then it will be over. There will be nothing left. Now what sort of a freedom is that?"

Sonic didn't reply, and his face was edged with concentration. He did consider to himself that maybe he was going too far ahead. He wanted revenge after Eggman had kidnapped them, and perhaps going to war was a little over the top, but for how long had they fought against Eggman? It was for too long and it was time to end this madness.

"Don't forget that behind all that power," said Sonic, "he is just a human. That is his weakness. And we will exploit that… somehow. I'll think of a way."

"But he's a madman with all the power on Mobius."

"I know."

Shadow surveyed the mountains a final time. He said meekly, "I'll be going now."

"But Shadow," Sonic stood erect, and locked his knees together to prevent himself from falling over due to his fatigue, "I thought you were staying? Don't you wanna discuss plans?"

"No. I'm leaving." And Shadow turned away. Sonic went to stop him, but Knuckles cut into his path.

"Let him go." He told the blue hedgehog. "I say good riddance. At least he can't spy on us without him being here."

"But… I thought…" It looked like Shadow wasn't keen on the whole war thing either, despite what he now stood for. And without Shadow, to Sonic, that felt like half an army gone already.

Shadow walked on and on, past the mountains, and the small trio watched him disappear into the foggy haze of sand beyond.

They continued their journey, and their progress was got slower and slower. They managed to put two whole legions between themselves and Eggman's prison, but Sonic felt that was not enough distance, and strove them onwards through the wasteland. This part of Mobius was an ugly scar on the planet, thanks to Eggman and there were worst places out there where pollution grew, instead of trees and plants.

Finally, when the evening set in, Tails was so exhausted and near dehydration that he had to stop. And that was when hope came along most unexpectedly.

A small jeep, called the TigerX2, headed in their direction. Sonic could hear its engine rattling as it approached. It couldn't be foe, only Sonic and his friends had access to the Tiger series.

Finally, within close distance, the jeep stopped and its huge wheels gripped at the earth, leaving huge tire tracks behind it. Behind the steering wheel, was Sally and Amy.

Sonic's earlier fatigue seemed to vanish. He ran up to the jeep, hands held high.

"Sal! Amy! Thanks the seven heavens you're here!"

Knuckles rose from his stupor state and allowed a twinge of a smile to pass his lips. "Couldn't have come any earlier, could you?"

Sally laughed. "Oh I'm so glad to see you all again! I thought you were dead!" She left the jeep and rounded them all up into a hug. Amy of course snapped and hollered at Sonic.

"You can't help getting yourself into danger, can you?" She cried, swishing her arms in the air for an exaggerated effect, "how could you! Do you think of anybody else at all?"

"Amy, it wasn't his fault." Sally reasoned with her, "they were kidnapped by Shadow."

"What? How did you know this?" Sonic asked her.

Sally rested her hands on her hips. "Shadow told me. Only about an hour ago he walked his way into Knothole and I thought we were going to have a crisis on our hands. So I got my guards ready. Turns out, he only wanted to speak with me. That was when he said you guys were out in the Bad Lands, and that you needed help. He also explained what he had done." She shrugged. "So I grabbed the nearest jeep I could find and stormed it all the way up here to find you guys."

"Wow. That's guys fast." Sonic mentally kicked himself. He could have done that. Why didn't he think of speeding his way to Knothole to ask for help, then speeding his way back again? For once in a very long time, Sonic felt very stupid, and his cheeks were very soon dappled a brazen red color.

Knuckles coughed to clear his throat. "Eh, does anybody have a bottle of water by any chance?"

"Sonic, I suppose you already had some idea how I'd react. A great battle might be all it takes to ruin either our lives, Eggman's, or both." Sally filled another cup with tea. Sonic had his legs up on the table and Sally gave him a quick glare to tell him to move his feet. Sonic did with an apologetic smile on his face.

"I know, Sal. But, I think we need to do it now, while I'm still here. I hate to say it, but something might happen to me. And then what? Eggman could target us individually like last time. Then he'd win, with no challenge. I say we strike as one."

Sally had always admired his determination and intelligence. Sonic was right in many ways, thought she hated to admit it.

She sipped on her tea and looked out of her window. It provided her with a good view of the houses and fields of Knothole. War was what her father would have wanted too.

"You know that I'll fight too, Son. I won't sit back and watch and pray that everything will be fine."

Sonic rubbed his nose with his finger. "I understand. But you don't have to worry. You'll have our protection."

Later that day, Sonic did in fact feel like a great leader. This war was going to happen, even if he didn't have Shadow's help, or if others didn't agree.

It was time to make a stand.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5 Battle Ignition

Dib07: Me again. Wow, 2 reviews! I feel loved! Lol.

Shadow: O.O?

Disclaimer; We do not own Sonic. Nope. None of him at all.

Chapter 5: Battle ignition

'_Well, come again tomorrow. Fate thee well. A fiend like thee might bear my soul to hell.' – Twelfth Night – William Shakespeare_

Everyone in Knothole was gathered. If anyone were to walk past this particular array of animals, they would have thought a celebration was taking place, or even a great discussion. This was in fact a serious meeting where everyone in the village was expected to turn up. Sonic took the center stage and stood on a tree trunk so that he was proudly elevated and was able to be seen from all four corners of the crowd. It hadn't snowed in the morning but the crisp frost underneath proved slippery and gelid. Many animals came out in fur coats and scarves, and many children stayed close to their parents as Sonic's young voice laced across the cold winter air.

"This isn't going to go away the moment we turn our tails on the situation." He was saying. Knuckles and Tails stood behind him, silently urging him on, "something needs to be done. The mention of war sounds extreme. We've been fighting for so long, what does war mean now anyway? But we mustn't forget what freedom stands for. It's our heritage. And it's ours. We just need to take it. Robotnik can't stop us forever. He has limitations. If we push him back far enough, and show him we're not afraid, we can do this!"

There were a few claps, though most of them were only half-hearted attempts.

A white mink from the back said harshly, "what about our families? We may go to war with you Sonic, but what protection is guaranteed? While we fight at the forefront, I do not expect to come home to find my children slaughtered."

Sonic drew in a breath. He saw worry and fear in all their eyes. Most of them were just peasants, or humble creatures that went about their day as peacefully as they could. They weren't warriors, but they had talent, and bravery. Sometimes, that's all you needed to do battle.

"They'll be guards. I have contacts." He smirked weakly at this, because it was true. It had taken him almost a full decade to be this renowned, and it paid off, "Silutel, and his army of crocodiles will be here by tomorrow and they will be especially assigned into protecting all your homes and families."

There were a few gasps. This new information put a smile on a few anxious faces.

Knuckles stood with his heavy arms folded, however there was a fretful frown marring his brow. Tails didn't notice. "I can't wait!" He breathed, "this is happening! We're gonna battle Robotnik!"

"And who else will help us?" This question came from another creature from the back, "if this war is really going to happen, isn't everyone on Mobius going to be involved? What about the echidnas? And the birds? Huh?"

Sonic nodded. "Them too. Knuckles has already sorted that first problem out. And the birds… let's just say they're thinking about it."

Another disquieted murmur rattled the group.

Knuckles reached up and tapped Sonic on his sneaker. "Sonic!" He whispered so that he wouldn't be heard by the others, "what are we going to do about first aid?"

"Sal's gonna handle that part," he said smoothly, "and there will be others like doctors and nurses for the villagers and warriors. Not to worry."

Knuckles pouted, still not looking convinced and he placed himself back in his swamp of worry.

Sonic turned back to the group. "We will attack at dawn. Most of us can only see by the daylight, but when it grows dark, the nightfighters will come and take over. They will be creatures of the night, such as the owls, bats and echidnas."

"Where will we attack?" This question came from Amy. She stood next to a family of moles. She smiled wistfully when Sonic met her gaze.

"We will attack Eggman's HQ. I've been there myself a few times. The guards there are tight, but they won't be expecting an attack, so we'll grip the advantage and I will personally make sure it doesn't slip."

"I will join you, Sonic."

The hedgehog searched the faces for the voice. It was Rogue. He nodded his appreciation.

"Thanks, Rogue."

"And I." Voiced another.

"Me too."

"Let me join."

Soon, everyone offered Sonic their services. The hedgehog stood, surveying them with a look of bafflement but glee on his face also. He didn't expect them to join him so readily.

"Wow." He whispered guilelessly.

Knuckles sighed. "That's it. We're going to war."

Tails was frolicking in the air.

The preparation for dawn began right away while Sonic left Knothole in a storm of speed to gain and renew alliances. Knuckles left to call upon aid, while Amy went to Forest Falls to seek out the Chaotix. When all was said and done, the party began. It was late in the night and the fires in Knothole were blazing strongly. Cheery music floated in the air from various musicians and singers as the night went on. Knuckles grabbed a mug of cider and stood alongside Sally as a huge firework display decorated the dark sky.

"Everybody's having a good time." The echidna said dryly, "petty we might not see another night like this one."

Sally wrapped an arm round his and clinked his mug with her glass of wine. "We will, Red. We will." She took a swing of her drink and paused a moment to wipe her mouth dry. "Sonic's not back yet. I hope he's okay." She thought briefly, then added with honest concern, "is the master emerald safe?"

"I hid it earlier this afternoon!" He smiled gravely. "It's under the water in Hill Rise. If Eggman finds it, he'll have a job getting his robots down there, if they're aquatic-based or not."

She too allowed a smile but it was a faint one. Everyone was laughing and dancing. The air was full of joy. But behind it all there was sadness and desperation. It was there on every beast's face. The laughter was strained. And the alcohol helped hide their true emotions and fears.

Knuckles gulped down all his cider in one gulp. "We're gonna win this one, Sal. Me 'en Sonic will clear up the whole horde of badniks. You can count on it."

She sighed. "I know. But whatever you do, try not to take too many risks. And look out for Sonic."

"Will do, ma'am." _I always have._

Tails came up to them, a glass of milk in his paws. He had mud up his legs. Knuckle's vision was good in the dark, and the help of the oil lamps made it even more plain.

"Tails, why are you so dirty?"

"I tripped!" The fox confessed sheepishly, "but I've got good news! The Chaotix are here! And Sonic's with them! Come see!"

Knuckles chuckled. "Well I never!"

Espio, Charmy and Vector where arguing when they found them. They were near the stage beside the fruit stand where the dancers were singing. The stage had been propped up especially for the party and the music thronged painfully in Knuckles' ears.

Espio nodded his acknowledgement when he saw the red guardian and their leader back in the old days. Knuckles shook their hands with a polite grin on his muzzle.

"Glad you could make it." He told them, "you ready for tomorrow?"

Vector puffed out his chest. "We've always been ready." He scorned, "we _are _the Chaotix. We are well known for our bravery and our skills."

"And we can cook too!" Added Charmy bee as he did a clumsily twirl in the air.

Espio bit into a cookie that he had taken from one of the many foodstands. "I'll be the greatest asset." He said between mouthfuls, "you'll need someone who can disappear in battle and take their foes by surprise."

"Yes." Knuckles had never been keen on their boastfulness. That was one of the main reasons he had left their team.

Sonic cheerily made his entrance and he was dancing to the beat of the music. He couldn't quite make out the lyrics, but it sounded good all the same. "You having a good time, guys?" He asked before twisting in the air like a dramatic dancer, "Eggman's gonna have a fit in the morning!"

"If we don't have one first." Knuckles claimed morbidly.

"Ah, cheer up! We'll do fine!" Sonic slapped him in the back. The echidna growled his dislike.

"You're drunk Sonic." He could smell thick alcohol, but the stench was so strong, the source could have been coming from anywhere. Then again, he had alcohol on his breath too.

"Right back atcha pal!"

"Can you repeat that?"

Espio shrugged. He had grown bored of their company. "Let's go and find more grub." He told the Chaotix, and they left.

Tails finished off his glass of milk and was about to head on his way to ask for more when he fell over again. More mud squelched under his stomach. Knuckles turned to laugh, but he suddenly started choking and coughing instead. Horrified, Sonic intervened to help and started performing the abdominal thrust on him, thinking that he was choking.

Knuckles sourly pushed him away. When he was in enough space he gulped down air, and gasped, "I wasn't choking you idiot! I just swallowed the wrong way!"

Sonic grinned helplessly.

"Sonic!" They all turned to the speaker and they instantly felt like running when they saw Amy approach. Before Sonic had a chance to move, she glomped him round his waist. "You, my little blue hedgehog," she cried like the stupid girl that she was, "are not going to war tomorrow. No you're not. You'll be staying with me! No more fighting!" From the way she swaggered, it would appear to anyone sane enough to have a grasp on reality that she was drunk too. Then again, she was very often normally like this.

Knuckles decided to leave. He could not bare the sight of romance. With a stiff air in his walk, he left in the same quiet manner as the Chaotix, and disappeared into the night.

It was still dark when Sonic rounded his troops. And it was still dark when they reached the Dark plains where Robotnik's HQ resided deep in the snowy valley. The sun was just peeping over the horizon when all of Sonic's pieces were set and ready to play. And when the sun gleaned down on the snow below them and painted a scene before their eyes, Sonic was dismayed to see robots dotting the hills some two leagues away. The robots were watching them.

To the west, more of Sonic's people were gathering. The Chaotix joined Sonic on the hill, and a small number of fierce echidnas joined the rear. Still, Sonic's numbers in his army grew, even when the dawn was full and morning was present. The sand in the sunlight was strong, and its orange pigment stained the snow, which rested upon it. But as Sonic's numbers swelled, so did the opposing army of robots. Eggman either must have known about this, or he had some very clever spies. This made him think back to Shadow. Had he warned Eggman?

In hopes to solve this mystery, Sonic told Knuckles to be in charge while he went down the hill towards the robots. It was madness. Knuckles didn't stop him. Instead he looked on in absolute horror.

Sonic wanted a response from this massive army of robots but his sudden bravery could get him killed.

There were thousands of robots, and they seemed to gaze at Sonic without eyes. Only sensors. They could fire at him at any time.

There were so many, Sonic couldn't see past the frontline of androids, but the line stretched from east to west and there was no end. Sonic's ears flattened against his skull and for once he was starting to feel guilty about making this whole war thing a reality. He promised his people that Robotnik hadn't a clue what was going on. He had told them it would be a sneak attack, and the advantage would be theirs. Now, there was no chance of that.

Sonic walked to the center of the field so that he was directly half way to his people, and half way to Robotnik's savage army. The cold air rustled through his blue fur and everything was silent. Then, as if sounding a horn in the serene stillness, he cried out; "Eggman! I'm here. I want to talk to you!"

His eyes searched the stationary robots and he half expected a big fat red man to come out of the ranks and greet him. But he knew Eggman better than that.

Just as he began to feel a bit embarrassed, and now relishing the thought of going back to stand beside Knuckles, something small moved out of the rows of badniks and floated over to him. Sonic stood his ground, his hands clenched into tight fists. He didn't relax when he saw that the thing coming towards him was nothing but a television screen with little jet engines under it and an antenna on top. When it was but yards from him, Sonic snarled at the image he saw.

Robotnik's face was even more ugly and hideously misshapen in the television screen. "Ah, hello Sonic, my old friend. Anther war is it today? Oh I do love a challenge. When this is all over, come to my place and we'll have some tea. What do you say?" His eyes seemed to squint when he narrowed his eyebrows. His ginger mop of a moustache twitched just once. Just seeing him made all the loathing and hatred bubble up inside of Sonic like a volcano's core about to erupt with poison.

"You're going to die today, Eggman." He said as coolly as he could.

Robotnik paused briefly, as if his script of speech hadn't foreseen this reply. He recovered quickly and that horrid sneer of a grin was back on that confident face of his. "Very well. We'll see who dies first, Sonic. But I'll just like you to know that no matter how hard you try, you won't win." Sonic's expression remained unchanged. "I mean it. Even if there was ten thousand of you little blue hedgehogs, you'd still lose. My robots are designed perfectly on how to kill little animals such as yourself." At that, his words spoke malice. His grin stretched wider, revealing his ridiculously white teeth. "Well, I'll be seeing you around, won't I, Sonic! Good luck! And I hope you die painfully!" The screen logged off, showing a screen full of disorganized fuzz and static. Sonic stared at it angrily, as if the Doctor was still grinning devilishly down at him. Then the little engines under the screen engaged and the floating monitor glided back to the sea of robots ahead.

Sonic turned heel and walked back to his slight army of freedom fighters. It was too late to turn back now. The decision had been made. There was no escape.

It was time.

Sonic looked at the eyes of his followers. They were all ready. Ready for the inevitable. He only wished he had Shadow as an ally in this fight. He was a worthy assist. But, it couldn't be helped. What was done, was done.

He forced himself to smile and to look as confident as a hedgehog could be. "Are you ready?"

He was met with an instant response. "YES!"

Sonic faced the rows of enemies ahead. At Eggman's high command, they would come like an iron fist. And they would hit hard. But so would they.

"Let's do this!"

A/N: More action soon, promise.


	6. Chapter 6 Dreams of an Absolution

Dib07: Blah

Sonic: I want chilli dogs! You promised me chilli dogs! All I really care about is chilli dogs!

Amy Rose: Ah! How could you! You would choose food over me?

Sonic: Yeah! (gets slapped)

Disclaimer: We don't own the flurry blue hedgehog that runs incredibly fast XD

Dib07: Enjoy. No flames please. This fic is merely for enjoyment.

Thanks Winter S. Storm for reviewing! Yay, now I have 4 reviews! OMG!

Chapter 6: Dreams of an Absolution

'_In my dream of an absolution _

_In the night-light, do you see what you dream _

_All your triumph and all you'll ever be _

_Look around you, then you may realize _

_Happiness lies trapped in misery_

And who knows what of our future 

_We can all try to change the past.' - Theme of Silver - Dreams of an Absolution - Lee Brotherton_

There was bright sun and angry missiles that raptured the sky. Fire razed all. A gun was lifted. And a gun was fired.

In an instant it was all over.

A hedgehog lay dead, and his crimson blood trickled down into the snow. Pain came to a pair of golden eyes. It was over.

It was time. Sonic's army made the first move. As soon as they kicked into action, Robotnik's forces engaged. Their metal appendages, wheels and caterpillars suddenly infected the air with ugly, sheering noises. The troopers called the A11 series at the back of the front line lifted their metal skulls to the sky and unleashed a dozen angry steel arrows from their jaws. These arrows had a range that would make even Shadow proud. The arrows flew for half a mile before dropping down and decapitating the animals below. Some fell dead, before they had even hit the first wave.

Then, before Sonic knew it, the first contact came. Animals in front collided with the robots from Robotnik. There was an almighty clash as the two met. The contact seemed to thunder across the very earth like a shock wave. Spears lacerated flesh, explosions battered the ground, badniks went flying. Machine gun fire went off, shouts echoed. Arrows rained down from the sky, creatures screamed, blood stained the dry, desiccated floor. Sonic caught perturbing glimpses of Egg warriors behind friendly line. Their gold–plated sheathing looked bulky and stalwart.

Many animals fell. The robots had the upper hand; they possessed better weapons, technology and shields. They ganged up on groups wearing the Eggman insignia imprinted on their suits before slaughtering them and relishing the blood that spilled. It was horror to watch. And as their numbers fell, Eggman's forces pushed them backwards.

Sick of the bloodshed and watching unskilled warriors die; Sonic fought past his comrades to the front line without thinking through first. At once he aided the failing fighters, thrusting his spines at the wave of the opposition. Moments later as oceans worth of sand and snow was kicked up into the air, there was another devastating explosion, which rocked the earth.

Rubble and dirt shot about like lethal shrapnel. A small rock cut across Sonic's cheek. A rivulet of Eggman androids smashed into an echidna force, knocking them down instantly. Only one black echidna managed to stand, leaving dozens of his dead comrades on the ground. Sonic came to his aid and warded off further attack, but when they were done, the echidna managed a smile of gratitude before collapsing. This loss caused pain for the hedgehog. It made him think of his friends. How was Knuckles holding up? And Tails?

A large android with huge oversized metal shoulders and the neck and head like a dragon, bore its fiery breath down at a defenseless cat. Sonic watched the poor creature melt away right before his eyes.

Tears sprung in his eyes and with a fierce cry he hammered his spin attack on the metal beast. He sought its weakness. He bumped and hammered down on its every piece of material, trying to find some way to make it fall apart. The robot disdainfully tried to rear up and grab him, but it was too slow.

A small homemade bomb rolled under the dragon's feet while it was distracted and when it detonated, the beast fell apart like lego blocks. Sonic landed on his feet and saw Vector smiling sadly at him, his arm cradling more bombs. But the crocodile didn't stay. He moved on, as did Sonic.

The onslaught was merciless. The floor was soon caked with blood. Sonic's forces were driven back, and now the robots took full advantage of their retreat and started attacking their flanks. There was simply too many robots and the animals defending themselves hadn't the weapons to combat this threat.

They were doomed.

Tails was flying high in his plane. It unloaded missiles upon black masses of robots and he cleared up a lot of him in this way. Knuckles was defending a hill. Amy was fighting alongside Espio and Omega. Omega was the only robot on their side, but despite being one against many, the android was holding up well.

Still, Sonic feared it wasn't enough. Where was Shadow? Where was the hope? What was the point of it all?

Losing faith in the midst of battle was fatal. Sonic withered in mass confusion and despair. When he opened his eyes and saw the fight still taking place, he was surrounded by robots and they all had their weapons aimed at him.

It was over. He was finished. He knew there was no way out of this.

Just before they shot Sonic to the ground, a young, shrill voice hit the air like a typhoon.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Sonic knew that voice. He looked up, expecting to see Shadow in the fray of battle, but saw someone else. Silver the hedgehog.

As soon as the words were spoken, as if a spell had been uttered, all the robots around Sonic stopped, like they had been put on pause. It was an eerie sight. They were in battle positions, put on hold. One was in the middle of throwing a knife. Another was just about to open another magazine of ammunition.

Silver landed beside the stunned blue quilled hedgehog from the sky. "_Sonic! _Why do you look so shocked?" He asked plainly, "aren't you used to these sort of things by now?"

Confusion crept like fog through the cracks in Sonic's mind. "But… S-Silver… how did you get here?"

Silver rested a hand on Sonic's shoulder and together they warped to a high place away from danger. As soon as he had done so, the robots broke from their inanimate prison and burst into action again.

"I came from the future, Sonic, and it couldn't have been done without this." Silver showed him the green chaos emerald. Its glistening surface was reflected in Sonic's eyes.

"Where did you find that?"

"Heh. Found it in an old ruin. One of Eggie's old bases in the Bad Lands. It was down a steep crack, but I managed to wink it out."

Sonic's mouth hung open. Wasn't he talking about the emerald they had just lost? The one they dropped down the gap in the prison?

"Holy…" Sonic felt dizzy. So much so, he had to place a hand to his head to steady himself.

"Easy there!" Silver laughed, "but boy, going back into the past isn't easy! I swear if I have to do it one more time!"

"Silver…" He pushed all questions aside. The young silver hedgehog's well-being mattered first. "Why are you even here? You could get killed! This is a war in case you hadn't noticed!"

Silver shook his head so that he caused his long, elegant quills to shiver like feathers. "You don't understand, Sonic. I had to come back to the past."

"Why?" He rasped.

"Because Shadow dies."

Knuckles spat a perfectly intelligible obscenity and threw himself into combat. His fist neatly connected with a whole row of badniks and they toppled like sand. Two E-2000's came charging from the dust and thwarted the echidna into Amy. Growling and diligently aggregated, Knuckles nailed his blows at them in quick succession. A bullet hit one of his dreads and he flinched in pain. But he did not stop. As the blood trailed down his dread, he lurched forwards again, did a half turn and did an upper elbow cut to the E-2000's head. It was stunned, but countered so fast Knuckles had barely time to recover for the next blow himself.

Amy was right behind him, swinging her pika-pika hammer from left to right in a febrile pattern of rage. Above, Tails soared in the Meteor. His guns sought their targets and a pillar of heavy fire flushed out from the holes. Missiles scored the left side of the badnik flanks. Then, before he got too close to be in range of the adversaries' fire, he pulled the Meteor up and did a sharp angle in the air so that he turned a 180 and dived at them again, over and over. He used short blue lasers but mainly the missile cannons that could target multiple enemies at a time. Tails' face was an iron mask of studious concentration. If he made one wrong move, he could either endanger the life of himself, or endanger the lives of his allies down below.

The red echidna ploughed into his targets like a train. His muscles were burning. His eyes flashed dangerously.

In a short space of time, he cleared enough room to pause and rest. That's when he saw Sonic standing with Silver a good way from the fight, in the upper regions of a hill. They wouldn't last long there without being noticed. That was one guarantee. He squinted and straightened his shoulders. Yep, he was almost certain that was Silver. He was no illusion, if he was, Knuckles had been fighting for too long. But if it really was him, then how and why had he got here?

_Oh well. Back to the matters at hand. _He thought with an avid grunt.

This fight was insane. The very thought of actually winning in this fight was insane.

Knuckles clenched his jaws and hit again and again at lethal robots, but there was no end to the madness.

"He… dies?" Sonic tried to swallow his confusion. Silver wasn't making any sense. Then again, he never did.

"Yes, and if I don't get to him soon, I will cease to exist! I felt it… before I found the emerald. Pain… and I started to fade, then materialize again. But I found the emerald and I knew I had to go back in time to when Shadow gets killed!"

"Whoa, slow down!" Sonic grinned, "you cease to exist? Why? What makes you so…" Then he realized it. How could he have not seen it sooner? Silver… was… related to Shadow! He must be a great grandson, or a descendant from the Ultimate Life Form.

"You… you're related to Shadow?"

"Yes! I must be!"

"Wow! It explains the powers you have! You can warp! You have… the furry…"

Silver advanced on him. "Sonic, _stay_ focused! Where is Shadow? I _have_ to get to him!"

"But that's just the thing!" Sonic said bemusedly, "he's not even here! He's not helping us in this war!"

"Then _where_ is he?" Silver was a quick one to anger, another trait he had got from Shadow's genes.

"I don't know! He must be up in the ARK or somewhere! I'm not his babysitter! Besides, Shadow can take care of himself!"

Silver coiled his fists in frustration. Now that Sonic had pieced it all together, he now saw how much Silver resembled the Ultimate Life Form. _I can't wait to see how Shads will react when I tell him about this!_

This thought made him chuckle. Silver whipped round to set a pair of angry gold eyes at him. "This isn't funny! I don't know what your idea of a joke is, but I'm going to find him."

With that, the young silver hedgehog jumped off the ledge and commenced battle with the frontline. Sonic regained his composure and briefly surveyed the thick area full of violence to see any black hedgehog. There was no sign of them. It was typical of Silver to be concerned about anyone that wasn't involved in this battle. What about Sally? What about himself? They were in the thick of things. Didn't Silver care about them?

_Or maybe it's because he knows that I live…_

_Maybe…_

He had to get back to Knuckles.

He found the echidna on the crest of a hill. When they met, they grimly traded smiles, but did not speak for a long time as they fought alongside each other.

It was clear that they weren't winning.

Both of them were already dilapidated. Knuckles had a vibrant bruise under one eye, and his knuckles were bleeding. Sonic had sustained a cut to the joining of his neck and shoulder. Notches and tears marked their fur and yet still they fought hard as if they were still fresh to take on the fight. Knuckles rammed into his opponents over and over. His spiked fists slashed through metal and oil leaked from every split.

A turbo machine warrior unleashed a twin set of lasers and fired at Knuckles. The echidna sprung instinctively, as quick as fear, over the lasers so that they passed harmlessly beneath him. The beams of light traveled for a good thirty kilometers before erupting into the rocks beyond.

"Fuck that was close."

Sonic took out the androids easily. Even then, seven more took over the place where the two robots fell.

Then…

Knuckles' voice sounded faraway. "S-Sonic… Look!"

Sonic did. And what he saw put the hope and joy back into his heart again. _Shadow._

He was like a hero come to save the day. His dark silhouette was sharp in the afternoon light as he crested the hill. And he was not alone. Behind him came great legions of troops.

_Reinforcements!_

The new backup force came like a tide and smashed into the flank of Robotnik's heaving army. Shadow was lost in the crowd, but he was _here,_ with them! Sonic's spirit was re-awakened.

Shadow had come with lizards and serpents from the far reaches of Mobius. How he got them Sonic was yet to know. But it didn't matter how. For the tides of battle had shifted.

They were now winning.

Silver cast his psycho-telekinesis and stopped a horde of badniks from swarming into him. A thick green light clasped their still bodies as they stood in suspended animation. Then with a quick flick of his wrist, Silver sent them into the air like twigs so that they flew and then plummeted to the earth where they fell upon their own soldiers.

That was when he briefly looked up for a moment and saw Shadow. As quick as a bullet, Silver levitated over the fighting (which was a really dumb thing to do), and alighted by the black furred hedgehog.

"Shadow!" At last Silver had reached him! But the sleek ebony warrior did not pause nor glance at him.

"What?"

"It's me, Silver! I… You gotta get out of here with me! Now!"

Shadow let out a string of psychotic laughter. "Why? Can't you see I'm a bit occupied?"

Silver grunted, "I don't care! If you don't come with me right this second to safety, then you will die Shadow!"

"Humph! I die everyday."

"No! Listen to me! I've come from the…"

"Yes, future… I know. Don't you have anything else better to do with your time?"

"Shadow!" He paused a few more lethal opponents who had more guns and weaponry. "Please!"

"Worry about your own damn present!"

"I am! That's why I'm here!"

"Fuck off before you become my enemy."

"Hey, screw you asshole!" Silver's quills flattened against his head at the crude insult. "_Let me help you! _Who says you have to fight? Come with me and we'll…"

"You're like a sales rep. Can't take no for an answer. And by the way, your strange quills remind me of squid tentacles." Shadow whirled into his enemies, and away from Silver. "CHAOS SPEAR!" His lances of dark energy jabbed into the opposition like spears and several badniks went down.

Silver's white face tightened. _The fool!_ _He isn't listening! What am I going to do?_

Being as naive as he was, he stayed close to Shadow and helped him clear their perimeter of badniks.

Shadow relished the fight. The winter light caught his face. His nose was like the edge of a hatchet. A fierce grin bared his teeth. His eyes gleamed, as red as a demon's.

Shadow kept smiling, but his concentration was savage.

He moved with such speed that it was difficult to realize how graceful he was, difficult to follow the way his chaos spears swept and cut. He and his opponent wove shadows and hot sparks around each other. In the space between one heartbeat and the next, he blocked his enemy's blade, then dropped one fist and struck a backhand blow, which staggered the robot.

Smoothly, almost contemptuously, he brushed aside the onslaught that followed. In a way, Silver was not needed at all. The hedgehog admired Shadow's ductile speed with hated envy. He had his psychokinesis, but who needed that when you had speed and the power of dark energy at your disposal?

Silver's forehead creased in doubt. Then why was he suffering in the future? Shadow didn't need him. It was true that maybe a robot would silence the black hedgehog with a lucky shot… maybe…

This thought re-invoked Silver's motive. "Shadow!" He waved his hand in the air to catch a lethal bullet in midair before sending it back at its owner, "draw back! We're too far in!" Violence streaked his vision. "We gotta go back!"

His voice seemed to distract the Ultimate Life Form. His attention was diverted for a fraction of a second and that was all it took for a robot to smash him in the side. Shadow staggered to the ground. He caught himself on one knee, countered a brutal assault, regained his feet. He was still smiling, _still smiling._ Sweat ran down his face. The light showed a glare of desperation in his crimson eyes.

Silver bit his lip so hard he soon tasted the ugly tint of copper in his mouth. His golden orbs sighted a rock about the size of himself. Concentrating adeptly on his powers, he levitated the rock nimbly off the ground as if the rock had turned into light-weight feathers, and then he catapulted it into the belly of an E-2000 robot. The robot took a nasty hit and fell back into its comrades. But there were _still_ so many. The robots kept coming as if a machine at the back of Eggman's HQ were building two robots for every one lost.

A dark puma robot leapt up at Silver from the right. The indirect assault threw Silver off-guard and the robot threw down claws that were impossible to dodge. Silver dodged them but levitating himself off the floor like a bird taking flight.

Angry and hot-blooded with adrenaline, Silver smacked it away with a rush of psycho shock. The puma was harder to hit, and the convulsive effort cost him his balance. But just before the puma recovered and sunk its metal teeth into Silver's throat, Shadow smacked it away with a hard kick. The black cat robot tumbled into a rock where its skull dully hit a rock. It never got up again.

Then, angry and flustered, Shadow turned and sunk eyes like daggers into Silver's orbs. "Go and sit with the children back at Knothole and play with your toys like you're supposed to! Leave the fighting to the adults!" He roared heatedly.

"But… you'll… die…" His conviction was less so, and his face was bright with tears.

"I was born into this world alone and I will die in this world alone!" He audaciously snapped, "don't you see? Don't you see!"

Silver cowered like an infant in his shadow. The black hedgehog grunted in the satisfaction that his words had hit home.

"Now go!" He turned away and re-engaged his battle. Silver was so numb and cold that he didn't feel the gravity when he stood up. Nor did he feel the tight cold winds striking hard into his soft fur.

"But… the future…" He choked on his words. There was no much panic in the air; it began to make him feel dizzy. He heard an animal scream in the distance and his heart tore at the noise. _Why am I here?_

TBC


	7. Chapter 7 The Guileless

Dib07: Yeah, i hope you people are reading this out there. Yeah. Huh.

Chapter 7: The guileless

Sonic's spikes cut into metal like his spines were a lethal blade. He made his way over to Knuckles in the throng of madness. The echidna was in a bad state but he was still swinging energetically as if he had no wounds on him at all. Sonic pulled up beside him and fought right at his side.

"Why didn't you ask for help?" Sonic asked him.

"Do I look like I need it?" He asked, voice crisp with sarcasm.

"Yes."

Knuckles always had a ring of dead robots round him. He made a perfectly clear circle with no enemies or bodies inside the circle. Then, when he saw fit, he moved on to another location and did the exact same pattern. Sonic kept it to himself, but Knuckles wasn't only a fighter in the field of war, but he was also an artist!

With enough energy to lit up a city, Knuckles moved out of the earlier circle he had made that was lined with dead robots, and started his sixty-fifth one. Sonic propelled himself almost heedlessly into a fresh charge of robot troops. When he was done, his glamorous spines sported blood and they were also black with oil. The metallic stench of blood in the air always frightened Sonic. And the blood on his spines was his. He couldn't keep throwing himself at the enemy and dunking them with attacks. His body, though designed in many ways to do battle and be the fast creature on earth, was not a war machine. His spikes were getting worn out. The same went for Knux's fists. The red guardian's gloves were tearing apart at the seams, revealing bloodied claws as he hammered each robot into oblivion.

Knuckles saw Sonic pause and cocked his head at him. "What's the matter? The fighting getting a bit too much for you?"

Sonic shook his head and in spite of all things, laughed. "No." He looked to the horizon and his chuckles died quickly. "It's going to get dark soon, Knux. We'll have to withdraw when that happens, and let the nightfighters continue."

"And if they're not strong enough?" A robot got close enough to punch him, but Knuckles beat the machine to it.

"Then they'll reach our camp… and we'll have to fight, or be murdered in our sleep." Sonic replied morbidly.

Knuckles spat at the floor, which made the blue hedgehog grimace. "Pah. Murder. They've been doing that to our people for decades. I won't let them kill countless more in the night like the cowards they are."

Sonic nodded and raced back into the swarm again. The fight was instant. He met head-on with a robot, and he hurled its left arm into the air with a backward flip of his feet.

Machine gun gone from its appendage, it turned on the animal with savage vengeance burning in its cold pinprick eyes. Sonic met it with an equally chagrined glare and he curled into a ball and let his spikes do the work. He cut into its sheathing like scissors would cut through velvet. The robot soon lay disabled at his feet. You couldn't really kill a robot, because it was never alive to begin with. Robotnik had stopped robotizing creatures way back when he found that they had too many weaknesses. They were a valuable source of energy for a badnik, but they could also be freed again, and at rare times, attain free will. So, instead, Eggman found alternative sources, such as the chaos emeralds like Clave, or the power from his numerous generators. So, whenever a robot fell defeated, nothing erupted from its silver innards but oil and wires. It just felt empty killing this way when all he was doing was knocking down animate objects. It wasn't living. They were just machines in vast amounts. Robotnik had always fought cowardly, and today was no exception.

Sonic breathed heavily in his stationary position. The snow was coming in again. It blew on an eddying wind. It was falling heavily enough to form small white clusters over the bodies of the defeated, and it fell thick enough to gather on Sonic's fur. Sonic knew he didn't have time to stand and watch it fall, though he would have appreciated the chance to take the backseat and merely gaze.

A young, frightened voice reached his ears in the crowd of battle and snowfall. He knew that voice.

He turned and regarded Silver levitating towards him. He looked scared out of his mind, but his eyes still shone with determination. "Shadow's too far in the center of the battle," the hedgehog cried, "you've got to help me!"

"Help you with what?"

Silver landed on the floor and he raced up to him. He was so close; he could smell the blood, oil and sweat on Sonic's grimy fur. "He'll die! Don't you remember? You need to help me get him to safety!"

"Let's not be hasty." Knuckles put in, as if he disliked calling attention to himself. He guarded them from attack as they spoke. "Think about it. Shadow is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He's immortal and don't forget he survived from falling into the planet's atmosphere from ARK."

Silver's eyes narrowed, as if this very fact was an aberration to life itself. With a redolent look of disbelieve and impatience, he said quickly, "if you guys aren't going to help, I'll do it myself. I always wind up doing everything myself anyway! You're all useless! Some heroes you are!"

Knuckles punched him in the stomach.

Silver's eyes widened and for a few moments, he couldn't breathe. He was completely winded.

Holding his stomach, he backed off, his eyes shimmering with tears of agony.

"Silver," Knuckles said, teeth revealed, "don't you dare judge us. We're doing everything we can to make things right. Now go back to the future or wherever you came from. We don't need you!" Then he whispered to Sonic, "why is that mad child here anyway?"

That gave Sonic an idea. "I need your chaos emerald!" His face lit up with excitement, "Silver, hand it over, quickly!"

The white hedgehog struggled to focus his eyes on him. He tried to get the air into his lungs. "What?" He coughed, "without it, I can't get back home!"

"I'll give it back to you! Now Silver!"

The hedgehog grunted. His face darkened, not with anger, but with pain. He grabbed the emerald from his spines and threw it at Sonic. His aim wasn't accurate and it hit Sonic square in the head. Knuckles groaned feebly.

Not caring if he had hurt the blue hedgehog or not, Silver began to limp away. "It ends now!" He called out morosely, "I'll sort this mess out! Just watch me!"

"Silver!" Sonic's voice tilted towards one of rage, "come back here!"

"_Don't!" _That one word echoed a sense of déjà vu in Sonic's mind. "No! I'm know what I'm doing!" A red flush of fury tinted his cheeks. "Stay back and let me do this!"

"Do what?"

"Save the world. Heck, I may as well go back into the past and change all this, so that there isn't a war." He looked so dejected and angry.

Sonic cursed softly, "you can't do that. Will war will happen no matter how you try to change things. You can't go round trying to _fix _things Silver. And don't forget that you are just a child."

"A child am I?" He choked.

"Yes. How old are you anyway?"

Silver looked like he was positively glowing with fury. "Worry about your own self. I don't need anyone."

Sonic's brow furrowed at Silver's unfavorable retort. He would not be admonished by a pup. Silver was nothing more but an insolent child in the eyes of Sonic. And if that fool of a hedgehog thought he could whittle about thinking that there were no rules in the games of war, he was going to get hurt.

The wind plucking at Silver's crown of fur on his head as he surged forwards, he made a run towards Shadow. The virile fight was all around him. The clash of opposing sides, the shriek of screams, the echo of robotic limbs clattering to the floor as machines fell. The tumult of it all pounded in the young hedgehog's ears. But his attention was focused on the Ultimate Life form, and the war around him was almost completely shut out. Which wad a bad mistake. Ignoring a battle when it was right in front of you was never a good thing, whether you were on the winning side or not.

A bullet, or whatever it is, can not be felt at first. Sometimes it all depends on where you have been struck. It is often felt more in the groin or stomach region. First you notice the blood trickling down the exit wound, that's if the bullet has gone straight through at all. Only then does the pain begin. Silver must have been running for a good couple of yards before he felt that pain. Then, life as he knew it flashed into a world where nothing but panic and fear collided with each other and even his earlier task to get to Shadow was forgotten.

He felt like he had been bitten in the chest. The agony was atrocious. But the pain he was feeling didn't explain itself. Why was he hurting?

He crashed to his knees, but he didn't notice. Sonic was yelling his name fiercely over and over, but he didn't notice. Silver put a hand to his chest and pulled it away to reveal a splash of dark red over his satin gloves, but he didn't notice it.

He was reeling, reeling towards unpleasant darkness. For most of his short life, he had control over the most invaluable of things. He had control over time. He could control his past. But never in his life had he thought that he couldn't control the simplest of things. His own fate.

Silver closed his gold eyes and opened them again some seconds later. But he wasn't looking at the ground, which was what he was expecting to see. Instead he was looking up into the shimmering sky. The clouds overhead reflected deep in his iris's.

"Silver?" Sonic was holding him close. "Can you hear me? Look at me!" That was why he was seeing sky. He was being held face up.

"I'll transport us out of here." He could hear Shadow. He was close, but not close enough to be in his field of vision.

"Right."

Shadow touched Sonic's shoulder and they moved behind the perimeter of the front line. It wasn't a great distance to ensure safety, but it was better than their first position.

Silver choked in pain, and his voice was nothing but a whisper in his throat, "what's going on? My chest hurts!"

Sonic bit his lip and heard the true child inside him. He wasn't even a teenager. Why did this happen to someone so young?

"Silver, listen to me." Silver could hear him through the thorns of his pain. "I'm gonna get you help. But you gotta promise me one thing. You gotta promise to keep awake. Got that, buddy?"

The hedgehog's face was pinched white with pain. He started to cough. Shadow winced. "I… I promise…" He was so roped with pain that most of the sanity left in his mind didn't understand what Sonic had meant. But he said what he wanted Sonic to hear, for perhaps that meant the sooner it would be to get help.

Sonic stood with Silver gently cradled in his arms. Shadow retreated back a few paces, a rare look of shock on his face.

The white anthropomorphic hedgehog felt like he had a giant splinter in his chest, and whenever he chanced a moment to inhale, icy cold hurt raced across his nerves.

He blankly looked up at the sky, and the stone-like clouds lumbering over the hills. He wanted to cry. He wanted to pour his heart out. The pain made him think of his mother, of Blaze and of the friends he had made. Tears welled up in his eyes, making his vision appear watery and hazy. He could feel something moist and warm trail down his arms and side. He was too dazed to realize that it was his own blood streaming over his soft white fur. It left deep crimson stains where it looked like it would always remain.

Knuckles had seen it all happen, but he was too far to help in any way. Robots with every type of weapon blocked his path and he could only watch as Sonic gathered Silver in his arms and raced away with Shadow.

So that was three good fighters gone.

Now what?

Knuckles turned into the battle, but his soul wasn't in it. Instead of noticing the sparks, and the fire in his step, he felt how tired his muscles were, and he felt the hurting of his fists whenever he clubbed them into an opponent. Yet he still managed to be graceful. It was an adept echidna quality.

He started forming a new circle on the ground with the robots he killed. It was the only thing he could do to distract himself. Then, as luck would have it, he saw the Chaotix not far from his location. They were perhaps half a mile away, fending off the attack as best they could in defense rather than offense.

Knuckles started heading towards them.

Claws. Gun fire. Confusion. A stray missile, or a calculated shot, exploded near Tails' Meteor and it cracked the windshield. Though this damage wasn't enough in itself to decommission the battle, Tails decided to land it. He did not want to fly in an aircraft that had a cracked window. He was scared that if it shattered, it could spell doom for him. Fortunately for him, he landed to the north of the army where he rammed into a tall badnik that had a bulky chest and long jointed legs. The robot fell and for some reason, self-destructed when it landed on the floor, thus taking his whole platoon with him. Tails engaged the brakes after initiating the landing gear and the Meteor stopped at last on a snow bank. The one big problem was, he was far from any ally in sight.


	8. Chapter 8 You lose what you gain

Dib07: OMG next chappie! OMG! Oh, little warning here about the Silver angst. Yes I love him, but we all have to make sacrifices! I had to do it I swear!

Sonic: Ha! Ha ha!

Silver: You're all so mean/cries/

Dib: Sorry about any mistakes you may find in this chappie. I proof read and still manage to miss bits out.

Disclaimer: We do not own blue, speedy hedgehogs

To my reviewers:

Pride1289: Thanks for the review! I hope you like this next installation, but it was painful to write!

Crimson-obsidian-rose: Well, Silver is the youngest and I suppose the other characters patronize him etc. He still has the attributes of a child, as hedgehogs take longer to mature. Well, that's my theory at least, as echidnas are an ancient superior race, thus maturing faster. I read too many comics. Anyway, please don't hate me for this chapter, lol! I love Silver, honest!

Insolent: Keep reading!

Warning: Don't read if you don't like the mention of death or blood etc. Please press the back button. Thank you.

Shadow: Ooh… violence.

Chapter 8: You lose what you gain

'_He said, 'Dance for me' and he said,_

'_You are too beautiful for the wind_

_To pick at, or the sun to burn.' He said,_

'_I'm a poor tattered thing, but not unkind_

_To the sad dancer and the dancing dead.' – Sidney Keyes – Four Postures of Death_

The blazing fire and the raging war all around was all blotted out of Sonic's mind. All he was focused on was Silver. He concentrated fiercely on the sounds of the young hedgehog's respiration, and he registered the blood with grim scrutiny as it expelled thickly from the shot wound.

Silver had his eyes closed, and was doing his best to stay in the realms of consciousness. But, after a few seconds his coughs returned and the blood surged out of his wound faster. Sonic had to stop and placed a hand tightly over the wound. This attempt hardly stopped the bleeding.

Silver was shivering extensively. "Son… can't breathe…"

Sonic's eyes were glistening with tears. When he blinked, the tears tumbled down his cheeks. Shadow was by his side again, and he looked on with indifference. "Keep moving." He told Sonic, "or he's going to die."

"I can't, Shadow!" The blue hedgehog looked up at him, and his visage was taut like wire, "the tent's too far, I need something to stop the bleeding!"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "You have gloves! Use them!" When Sonic only wordlessly gaped at him, the dark hedgehog did it himself. He took off his gloves, shoved Sonic's hands away and pressed the gloves over the hole in his chest. Then he took Sonic's blood stained hand, guided it over to the gloves and pressed his hands over it. "There." He said gruffly. "Now move on!"

Sonic swallowed and continued as Shadow had prompted. He ran over the small little eddies and lakes, and almost slipped on the neat blankets of snow that hadn't melted in the hue of the battle.

As they drew away from the battle and the frontline, it grew quieter, but the hurls of screams and the clash and roar of gunfire still echoed resolutely like a storm.

The tent was picketed round a bend in the fork of a hill so that it couldn't be seen from Robotnik's perceptive nor could it be seen from his spies. The outside skin was camouflaged to suit the background just in case an enemy were to draw near and it had several crocodile guards hidden in the snowy dunes who were ready to take action if a threat approached.

Shadow skated fast in front, and opened the tent's flap to allow Sonic to slip inside.

Sally dropped everything. A glass vial hit the carpet, and smashed as a result. A scented candle dropped beside it, but its flame went out and it rolled harmlessly across the floor. The squirrel's eyes shimmered with what appeared to be pain. She flashed a glance at Shadow before cracking shakily, "what's happened to him?"

Sonic bit the inside of his lip. Then he swallowed and said, his voice full of agony, "he got shot, Sal. Help him."

Looking highly disconcerted, Sally came over with an uneasiness in her step and took Silver's form from his arms.

Silver did not know her. Sally knew little of him.

The white hedgehog met her eyes but he was not altogether there. He seemed to look straight past her and his golden orbs were hidden behind a cloud of pain. When she broke eye contact and looked down, she saw the gloves. Saw the blood. A raw choke of terror escaped her lips when she felt the warm sticky fluid passing down her arms.

Sonic's face was so pale, his cheeks were ashen.

Shadow couldn't cope to watch any longer and took action. He grabbed her arm and moved her over to the bed. "Put him down." He uttered soberly, "and give me all the gauge and dressings you can find." His words implied her to hurry. She did.

Sally laid Silver down atop the blankets on the small bed and removed the gloves. Blood. That was all she could see.

"He's been shot in the chest." Sonic sounded weak and raspy, like he was about to faint, "I don't know if it's fatal…"

"Of course it's fatal!" She shouted. Her rebuke seemed to snap him out of his panic. She on the other hand, was shaking. Silver looked so young. Like a child.

Shadow flew open drawers and ripped open packages with his teeth to get at the appropriate tools he needed. He returned with a cloth dipped in alcohol. Almost without thought or care, he pressed it onto Silver's wound. It must have been the reaction from Silver that got Sally most worried. When the cloth was administrated, the young hedgehog did nothing. He didn't scream, he didn't cry. All that he did was wheeze terribly, and only the left side of his chest lifted when he breathed.

Sally's mouth opened. _He's got a collapsed lung…_

But why was he so out of it? Why wasn't he responding?

With mortification, Sally realized that it was the shock that was killing Silver. She grabbed a warm basin of water that she had filled only a few minutes ago to wash herself, blankets and a syringe. She wrapped Silver's shaking body in the blankets, being mindful of his chest, and propped up his shivering legs to increase the circulation.

Silver looked on, his consciousness rapidly folding into a dark stupor. The panic reflecting in his eyes was blossoming forth like flower. Bright red blood sluggishly flowed from his mouth, and Silver didn't seem to notice.

Sally wetted the hedgehog's ice cold lips with the warm water. "Silver, easy. Everything's going to be fine." She hoped her reassurances would ameliorate him. "We're going to look after you, honey."

Sonic grabbed the old ventilator and rested it over the white hedgehog's clammy muzzle. The new oxygen it provided for him should have helped his breathing. Either that, or it was placed too late. Silver uttered a small yelp before bowing down into unconsciousness. Sally gasped. "No! Silver! Stay with me!" She held his head in her hands. His whole entire frame fell limp. Too late. Silent tears ran down her cheeks. _Oh God._

She had to try and put her fear past her. Silver was still breathing.

Sonic couldn't help staring at the blood.

_Blood. Blood._

"Sonic!" Sally hysterical voice ripped through to him, "grab a towel! Hurry!"

He didn't know if he could carry out this simple command. His knees trembled violently. "Okay."

His eyes were glazed but he couldn't faint. He wouldn't allow himself to faint.

He grabbed a small, soft beige towel from one of Sally's drawers and walked back with it in his arms. He chanced to look at the gore again. Sally had a strip of bandage and closed it over the hole in Silver's small chest. Then she wrapped it in layers of dressing, which also covered the exit wound at the back, just above his kidney. As soon as she had covered the wound, Silver's breathing wasn't as loud and desperate, but his chest still struggled to lift with each breath of air that he inhaled.

Tenderly, Sally took off his boots and elevated his legs on a few extra pillows. Then she covered his body up to his stomach with blankets. Only then, when she had made sure she had done all she could, did she weep. Sonic edged forward to hold her, then stopped himself. She probably didn't want any contact right now.

"Sal…" _I'm sorry…_

She held her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. It only lasted for about a minute when she seemed to straighten herself up again and continue with the bandages. Red blood had seeped through the first and second layers, leaving a large blotch of blood on the white dressing.

Sonic, unable to bear the sight, grabbed a stool and sat beside Silver. He took his limp hand and stroked the sweaty quills on his head. The ventilation mask looked so horrific on his features. It was out of place. It didn't even fit the child's countenance.

After Sally was done with the bandages, she injected a vial of medicine into Silver's bloodstream in his wrist. Then she sought for a pulse. She couldn't feel one. Sonic watched her try to detect a pulsation despairingly in his wrist, and when that failed, she listened to his chest through a stethoscope that she had kept in the first aid box.

"Sal…" Sonic choked. He felt like his throat was full of icy water, "can't you operate on him? Can't you stitch up the wound?"

"I wish I could, Sonic." Her voice was weak with tears, "but it's the internal damage. I can't just stitch it up!"

"Then how about an operation to find out what's wrong?"

"I… I can't!" Cried Sally, "the damage… I don't know what to do!"

Sonic put a hand to his mouth.

_No. _

More tears flowed and dripped down his pale muzzle. He couldn't do anything anymore. All he could do was stare bleakly.

_He's much too young. This wasn't even his war. It's all my fault…_

Sally tried to control her own sobs and had to bite down on her lip to do so. For the first time, Sonic saw exactly where Silver had been shot. He hadn't dared look before, for all he could see was blood. Now that he was wrapped in bandages, and with the blood still leaking through, he saw that the time-traveler had been shot on the right side of his chest, just a slim fraction from the center.

_No wonder there was so much blood…_

Sonic couldn't take it anymore. He got up and exited the tent before Sally could see his tears flowing freely down his face.

"It's all my fault."

The cool night air was a small retreat. He hadn't realized it had got so warm inside the tent.

He looked down at his bare hands. There were a few red stains, but it wasn't much. His gloves had soaked most of it up.

The battle was still hot. He couldn't really see what was going on, but he needed to help his friends.

_But I'll only be faced with more death and disaster…_

He briefly shut his emerald eyes.

"_Then how about an operation to find out what's wrong?"_

Silver wouldn't make it through the night.

_What's going on? My chest hurts!_

Sonic shook his head at the memories. He wanted to forget them.

"Sonic?"

He turned and saw Sally stepping out from the tent. Her clothes were saturated in blood. Silver's blood.

Her eyes glittered with tears. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

Sonic wanted to ask her the same thing. She didn't look okay.

He frowned and looked away, feeling so miserable and sick. Sally's blue eyes didn't leave his profile. "Sonic, I have to go back inside. I can't leave him in there on his own."

"I need… I need to get back to the battle."

"I know." Her voice was light and wispy, like a ghost of its former self.

Sonic's jaw knotted and he kept a deliberate mask of blankness on his face. "I'm going now."

He didn't look back. He was afraid that if he did, he could cry.

Sonic stepped into the field of battle and saw everything in a different light. He saw his friends getting slaughtered. He saw good creatures die, their lives going to waste, because of his decision. He saw pools of visceral blood mar the ground like great splashes of wet paint. But not only that, he saw bodies.

Thousands of them.

More than he could ever have hoped to imagine.

They lay strewn in no particular order. Limbs were grotesquely angled. Heads were severed from their bodies. Bones jutted out to meet the air and ripped ligaments and sinew carpeted the folding of guts and intestine.

Sadness caved in to anger. Sonic's fists shook. His face darkened. Every second that passed, another died to Eggman. It was inconceivable but it was happening.

Sonic glanced out to the west where the worst of the attack was. The robots were pushing them back. Shadow was in the fray somewhere... somewhere. He wasn't going to die, least not yet. Silver had taken that blow. Had seemingly taken the hit for him. Was that how the future was now? Was that how it went? Did Silver know?

Sonic's rage heightened terribly. His eyes burned red. Killing warriors was one thing, but shooting down a child was even worse. He would not have it.

A cry tore through his throat and an ethereal blue aura engulfed him. His fur flashed a bright blue, and then it slowly peeled to back. A twin pair of silver stripes appeared down the fur on his head and the orbs of his eyes vanished completely in his sockets, leaving the plain whites of his eyes.

The blue aura shivered and turned into a facile grey, but it did not fade. It seemed to stay around Sonic like a bubble, shielding him from danger.

He slowly stood to his full height, surveyed the area once, and then kicked, or rather leapt into action. He could not remember what happened next.

Tails had crashed. He had stalled his plane, and he had tried every method in the textbook to keep it in the air. Alas now he was grounded. But, in more ways than one, he was fortunate. He was alive and hadn't received any injury.

"Blasted plane…" He lightly cursed, wiping a gloved paw across his forehead. The engine was still gurgling like an over-worked horse and the blades rotated fiercely despite the fact that the Meteor wasn't going anywhere.

Tails nervously surveyed his new, unfamiliar world through his cockpit window. The area looked clear enough, as the valley stretched out, with lots of snow covering the grass like a blanket. The environment almost looked beautiful.

Tails unbuckled his harness, pressed the green cockpit button and the windshield slowly lifted. That was the wrong move.

Now that he was exposed and vulnerable, a metal hand reached in and effortlessly tore him out. Tails screamed. He was turned in the air and was dropped. Being thrown hurled nausea into his senses and he didn't know which way was up.

He hit the snowy floor on his back, and with quick reflexes, sprung back onto his feet. Two years ago, he had been given some rather extensive training with Sonic and right now, it was benefiting him more than he had ever dreamed.

The robot that had so carelessly thrown him like a toy, was a tall, lean cybernetic lizard. His head was narrow and sharp, and long saber-like teeth jutted out the bottom of his upper lip like snake fangs. "What an acquaintance to meet a two tailed fox." It said like sweet poison, where Tails watched on with uncertainty and fear, "you are quite the mutant." Its heavy tail lurched up behind it like the cybernetic was getting ready to swing it at him.

Tails lifted up his hands to his feet in mercy. Training forgotten, he was left to helplessly plead.

A flash of gold light tore into the Lizard's side and black blood spilled from its gash.

Shadow morphed in front of it and threw another chaos spear, this time at the lizard's neck. It was severed completely, job done. The head rolled away on the ground and the robot's body stood for a few seconds before it too collapsed and was no more.

Tails' hands dropped away from his face and a look of relief swept across his face. Shadow, however, was panting and his eyes were wild like a rabid animal. With his fists gripped tight, he started to leave.

Tails followed him. "Wait! You can't just leave me!"

Shadow turned to him sharply, his face frozen in anger. Then he stopped and the wild feverish look faded in his eyes. For the first time since Tails had known him, he saw fear in Shadow's cerise orbs. "Just watch where you step." He told the fox, "that thing that attacked you was Bimbol."

"Bimbol?"

"I can't believe he got robotised, but in a way, that freak deserved it."

The fox felt woozy and weak. "Where's Sonic? Is he okay?"

Shadow flinched at the name. "He's fine. Now go and hide some place until this is over." Shadow started to skate away. Tails glanced bleakly at his Meteor. It was nothing now. And without it, he was nothing too.

"We… we need the chaos emeralds…"

Dib07: No flames, please! And yes I had to do that to Silver and it ain't over.

Silver: I hate this story! I'm going back to the future!

Dib07: No you're not! I need you here! Hold him down!

Sonic and Shadow wrestle him to the ground.

Reviews welcome. Seriously. Without the support of my readers I can't write. See ya!


	9. Chapter 9 Horror

A/N: hiya all, sorry for abandoning this fic. It wasn't what i intended and full time jobs suuuck. Anyway here is the next instalment. I hope you enjoy. Sorry again for the lateness.

Disclaimer: We do not own Sonic the hedgehog.

Lol.

Chapter 9: Horror

'_What wilt thou do?__'__–__ Twelfth Night __–__ William Shakespeare_

Shadow fought the black sea of robots fervidly. But his energy reserves were depleting.

His chaos spears cut through the machines cleanly like the blast from a shotgun, yet their numbers did not falter. As the smaller, weaker ones fell, it left bigger, stronger ones in their places. The E-2000 series harnessed deadly lasers that cut through flesh and bone like a knife could cut through bread. As fatigue settled over Shadow, his reactions were less so. He could no longer judge where each enemy would be, or how they would attack. This fed his anger, and thus allowing him to unleash devastating attacks such as the acclaimed chaos blast. The blood red aura of doom spread out like a scarlet wave and snared everything in its grasp. After the damage was done, the robots on the outside perimeter of the blast's range that were unharmed, came at him when he was vulnerable, and he accumulated many cuts and slashes this way.

_Humph! I die everyday._

_No! Listen to me! I__'__ve come from the__…_

_Yes, future__…__ I know. Don__'__t you have anything else better to do with your time?_

_Shadow! Please!_

_Worry about your own damn present!_

_I am! That__'__s why I__'__m here!_

The words haunted him like a ghost. What if Silver had been right? Silver was a pup, a naïve little insolent baby hedgehog that had no place in this war, but what if he had been right?

The sweet saccharine of doubt dulled his killer instinct and a powerful badnik with long arms kicked him in the side. He fell into another robot, and his soft body ached with wounds. The badnik aimed, and fired with deadly intent. But just before Shadow was hit, the hedgehog warped into thin air and then teleported himself ten meters away from the horde. His breath steamed on the cold winter air. The sun was going down. Darkness was just minutes away.

_The nightfighters aren__'__t going to be any good._

Shadow and the others had been the main brunt of the force. They were the heroes. And if they couldn't hold the enemies back, the nightfighters certainly couldn't. They were overwhelmed. It was time to retreat.

His voice barked command, power.

"_Retreat_!"

He screamed it, he impelled it.

He joined his forces. Many lay dead. He avoided treading on so many corpses. They would look worse by morning and for this he was glad it was winter. The gelid environment would slow the rotting process.

"RETREAT!"

***

Sonic broke from his maddening anger just as the sun went down. The last slither of sunlight disappeared and the blackness of night reigned supreme. And even amongst the crushing and lashing of gunfire, and the roars of battle, he could hear Shadow scream at them to retreat.

The blue hedgehog tottered in one place for a moment, holding his aching head and wondering why there were so many broken badniks around him. Did he defeat them? If he did, why couldn't he remember?

He was sweaty and enervated. It was night. Why was there such a long gap in his memory?

Well, whatever had happened, every badnik within a mile of Sonic lay defeated. It was but a fraction of Robotnik's force, but it delayed their assault. And with so many down, it lifted Sonic's spirits slightly.

"Retreat!" The chorus of the regress spread. The command reached every inch of Sonic's force. Every caption or warrior passed it down until the whole force commenced the regress. But as they fled, the robots took advantage and pulled many of them down. A massacre ensued. Sonic was on his feet and flew to aid them. There were just too many. For some reason, whatever he had done earlier (which he could not remember) had made him more tired than he had inchoately feared. He couldn't repress their attack as he had wanted. He saved a few, but only a few. And he realized with horror that the snow under his feet was bright red instead of comely white.

_Oh dear Gods on high__…_

Was this what Robotnik intended? To kill and robotise every last living thing on Mobius?

He knew then that somehow he needed to get to the evil genius. He needed to kill Eggman. If he went down, surely that would end this war? And the robots would cease the fight?

It wasn't as easy as he thought. Getting to Eggman was like trying to find the center of a maze that was laced with deadly bobby traps. To even get close, Sonic had to go through the army and get into the war factory. But there was also a big chance that Robotnik wasn't even there. He could be watching this whole war in the Sandy Desert, sipping on cold tea and sitting under the sun with an umbrella propped up to allow some comforting shade.

Maybe… maybe there was a way to find him… and he would need a chaos emerald for that. Silver had the green chaos emerald.

He went to turn back, and headed for the tent. His force was retreating, and it looked like Shadow had taken up role as leader for now. Who knew what would follow next.

Sonic sped all the way back to find Sally.


	10. Chapter 10 The Healer

A/N: The next chapter. Updated as soon as i could for you guys 

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the hedgehog or any other character in that franchise.

Chapter 10: The Healer

'_You should thank me for letting you live.__'__ - Shadow_

The tent was still guarded by the elite crocodiles. The light from the stars made them look like shadows poised like deadly demons. Sonic ignored them and slipped inside the tent where he found Sally monitoring Silver's pulse in his wrist. She looked up briefly but couldn't fathom a smile. "Sonic… how are we holding up?"

"I'm not sure." It was bad, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. "We're all doing our best." _And I took out hundreds of those damn machines, Sal, and I don__'__t even remember._

Sally nodded and sighed. The air in the tent was still humid and painful.

He changed the subject. "How… how is he?"

"He woke up, Sonic. I gave him some medicine…" She paused, then found it within herself to continue, "but he couldn't keep it in. Then he just fell unconscious."

To distract himself, Sonic opened the flap at the tent entrance a little to perhaps chance a glimpse at the progressing battle. He couldn't see much of anything at first. All he could hear was the distant rumble of guns, shouts and the angry grunt of machinery. A part of him wanted to go out there and see what was going on, but he needed to stay for a bit. He just hoped Knuckles and the others would be okay without him for that much longer. He hadn't seen either of them for a while now.

"Do you know where the chaos emerald is?" He asked her.

"Yes." She temporally left Silver's side to open a small pouch on a tiny wooden table made of oak. Out spilled the green chaos emerald. Sonic reached out and took it.

"I still don't know how exactly to wield one," he muttered self-consciously, "I've just learnt from watching everyone else! But this holds the key to victory! Shads will know how to use it."

Sally gave him a shrug. "Are there any others?"

"No."

Sally returned to Silver and gently laid a hand over his forehead. The young hedgehog was burning to her touch. "Sonic, I need you to get me a power ring. It may be the only thing that will keep Silver alive until I can get him proper help."

Sonic hesitated. There were no power rings here. "What about this emerald? Can't that do anything?"

"Maybe, but how can you make it heal instead of casting out damage and destruction?" Her question stopped him. But Shadow might know.

Sally turned away from the bed, fumbled with the buttons on her jacket and bit her lip. "I think I left some more medical equipment in my bag somewhere at the back. Silver's stable for now, but only through his own will to survive." She shuddered with tears and headed out the tent.

Sonic took in a deep, harrowing breath. "What am I going to do?"

He paced with irresolute steps. His world was crumbling. _Eggman__'__s gonna pay__…__ Oh Gods he__'__s gonna pay__…_

He closed his eyes and saw a flash of the battle he had just left behind. Another flash and he saw Knuckles and Amy getting ripped apart by their foes.

The images were fragmented like glass however when he heard a weak voice rasp out into the gloom of his mind.

"Son…ic…"

He spun round and quickly rushed up to Silver's side. He didn't expect him to wake so quickly from the anodyne.

Silver's eyes were open, and he took deeper gulps from the oxygen mask. Sonic took hold of the hedgehog's hand and felt him shuddering. "Hey, buddy!" He couldn't help from sounding sad, even though he tried to mask it, "how do you feel?"

Silver obviously attempted to look at him, but he couldn't focus. Instead it looked as though he was looking through him. "Where's… Shadow?" His voice cracked and his chest heaved higher as he struggled to get in more air to talk.

Sonic, with his other hand, stroked his long white quills in a placating rhythm. "Shhh. Don't think about him. He's fine."

"I'm… I'm so scared…" He had to whisper. He hadn't the strength to force his words out any louder.

"I know you are, but try not to be. You're going to be fine. Sal's gonna fix you. She can fix anything! Trust me! I'm not going to let you die."

Silver's golden orbs wavered and it looked like he was about to lose conscious again. But he said sadly, "if I do die… Sonic… what will become of the future? What w-will become o-of me?"

That was a good question. One Sonic dared think about. Silver was from the future, and had come into the past before he was going to be born. So, if he did die, would that change everything? Or would Silver still be born, only to go back into the past and the cycle would start all over again?

_No__…_

"Silver… why did you come to the past?"

"I thought I told y-you…" His hooded eyes dimly tried to focus on his. Tears started to swarm his vision. "Shadow… died… and I… I feared I would cease to exist."

"How do you know it was Shadow?"

"I don't… please t-take care of Shadow… somehow… he's connected to the future… please…"

"No, I'm _not_ losing you!" Sonic gripped Silver's hand tighter. _Why did you go into that battle? _He silently pleaded, _why did you risk everything for him? Why?_

Sally came with a hypodermic needle and jabbed the end into Silver's wrist. The white hedgehog didn't seem to notice as he wheezed thinly from the oxygen in the ventilation mask. Sonic didn't know what to do to help.

"Why can't he breathe properly?" Sonic asked Sally with requital.

"Had you suddenly gone blind when he was shot? The bullet punctured his lung, Sonic!"

Sonic was muted while the white hedgehog mumbled incoherent words. Sally tipped Silver's head to the side and said softly, "Silver, look at me honey. How many fingers am I holding up?" She clearly displayed three in front of his face, but he wasn't even looking at them. He merely wept timidly. Sally gave up and hugged him close until Silver fell back into a drug-induced sleep.

Sonic grabbed a stool and placed it on the other side of Silver's small bed. For the moment, he could not face the battle waging outside. But a thought did enter his mind, what if an enemy were to come here, and take out the guards? They would all be in danger unless he could take the enemy out.

Sonic still held the emerald in his hands. Its shine did not appeal to him anymore.

"He'll sleep now, through most of the night." Sally's words sounded dull and dead on her tongue. "Sonic, will you be able to watch over him for an hour or so? I need my sleep too."

He nodded. _I haven__'__t slept either, but I can mange for a few more hours._

She looked reluctant to leave Silver's side. When she did, she rolled out a mattress, grabbed a few blankets and made a makeshift bed on the floor, where she rested. Her exhaustion carried her out and she was asleep far sooner than Sonic would have anticipated.

***

Night sprinkled the sky with stars. But there was no moon that night. Shadow walked into the tent much later and saw Sonic sitting on the stool beside Silver's bed. He was shivering erratically and the light from the oil lamp made his face look torn with pain. Shadow huffed and walked over to the bed so that he stood opposite Sonic. They didn't share a word between them.

The dark hedgehog surveyed the scene with grim interest. Then, after what must have seemed like an hour, he said tightly, "you're not fighting, Sonic? Have you forgotten that there is a war outside? Your war may I add?" His soft voice suddenly seemed so out of place. Sonic sighed and had to shut his eyes briefly to stop the tears from pouring out.

"I can't."

"Why can't you? You're their leader, Sonic. You started this. And you will end this."

Another silence. Shadow looked down at Silver and didn't express any concern. It was like he was glancing down at a vaguely interesting ornament and not a hedgehog at all.

"I would, Shadow. You know I would. But I'm not leaving Silver. I'm not letting him die alone."

Shadow's presence made the air in the tent oppressive. Slowly, however, his ascetic voice softened into a type of somnolence. "He's dying?"

"Yes!" He crocked. "And I made a promise to him! I said to him I wouldn't let him die! But I can't keep it! I don't know what to do!" Now the tears fell. He didn't like Shadow to see him cry, but he couldn't hold them back.

At the mention of a promise, Shadow seemed to unchain his emotions and a look of sorrow swept over his countenance. He had made a promise to Maria too. And he had kept it. He couldn't bear to think what might have happened if he had broken it.

With a sudden tenderness to his actions, he crouched beside the bed and placed a hand on Silver's damaged chest. He saw Sonic tense, but he then forced himself to relax when Shadow sent him a questioning stare.

"Trust me." He told him firmly, but not unkindly.

Sonic nodded and slumped back into his despondent position. His attitude was pathetic. Shadow felt like shouting; _Silver is but one casualty! And you cry over just him? You__'__re a leader now! Act like it! What will you do when there are more wounded? This is what happens! This is war! You can__'__t stop and cry every time someone throws in the bucket!_

Instead of crying out all this, he asked simply, "give me your chaos emerald."

Sonic looked at him, stunned for a moment. How did Shadow know about the emerald? Then again, he had probably seen it earlier.

A little reluctantly, he handed over Silver's green emerald. It glittered passionately from the light of the oil lamp. Shadow took it and held it in one hand while the other rested over Silver's sternum. As Shadow concentrated, Sonic withdrew back into his bereft position. He knew, or rather expected there to be casualties or war. How could you not? But the way Silver had looked at him… He was a child. He was young, and caught in a conflict he didn't understand.

After some time, Shadow spoke facially, "he is too weak. I can't help him."

Sonic left his stool and folded his arms, keeping his back turned to Shadow. Getting up and moving about was the only thing that was stopping him from releasing more tears. He had to be strong.

"Even with the emerald?"

"Even with the emerald, Sonic."

The hedgehog nodded, his ears drooping with disappointment. "He did all this for you, Shadow. He did this to protect you somehow. I know it sounds like madness, and it probably is, but it still doesn't change anything."

Shadow nodded. "I've known him in such a short space of time." He said. "I shouldn't have yelled at him." He wished he could help Silver. Maybe there was still something he could do. "Who's the healer of your people?" He asked suddenly.

"Sally?" Sonic replied miserably. "She's doing her best, honest."

"No… not her."

"Not her?"

_Then who?_

_Maybe it__'__s a trick question?_

Sonic thought. It was hard to think straight, even for a few seconds. _Silver can__'__t die. I promised him. I promised him._

Then it hit him like ice cold water. Knuckles! He knew about the herbs! He led an independent lifestyle and knew the healing priorities of nature! It was him!

"It's Knuckles! Where is he? Is he okay?"

Shadow rasped rhetorically, "he's still out there battling for his life if that's what you mean."

Sonic nodded and like the wind, he raced out of the tent to get him. Shadow was left on his own. He grimly looked down at the emerald in his hand and he arched his eyeridges. Here he now had what he wanted. It was so simple, and he didn't even need to exert any effort. With this, he might be able to win the war even on his own.

"No…" He murmured to himself, not on his own, but near enough.

He placed the jade object down on the table and tended to his wounds. Sally still lay sleeping and he walked about in the tent quietly. He cleaned the worst of his cuts and applied alcohol and dressing. The alcohol stung terribly and brought watery tears of pain to his eyes. He did his best to ignore it and swallowed a painkiller from Sally's bottle of anodyne. After that, he quenched his thirst from a bottle of water and felt much better.

Silver lay inert under the blankets, and his expression was lax with sleep. The only sound came from his ragged inhales of breath and the soft gurgle of his chest.

Feeling strangely curious about the child, he stepped over to him and rested a hand on his chest. He thought suddenly of Maria and her young innocence before she died. Her death was like…

"No!" He forced himself to forget the visions. He would not remember her that way. He wanted to remember the happy times. The times when it was just him and her together.

It was sad to see another leaning in towards the same fate. Maria hadn't been part of a great plot. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she took the hit for it, and died. The same went for Silver.

"History repeats itself… all because of mankind's evil." As he stood there, the painkiller he had taken earlier kicked into full effect and the tight hurt of his wounds seemed to evaporate into nothing but memory. Now he felt like he could take on a thousand more robots.

Again he looked anxiously at the emerald on the table.

_Is it possible?_

He left Silver and took the gem into his hand. "This will be interesting." Taking it with him, he again placed a hand on the time-traveler's chest and uttered, "emerald, you are bound by law and cannot do things that can't be undone. But now I ask of you to save a life, instead of taking one. Is that possible?"

The emerald glowed thick and bright and Shadow had to narrow his eyes to protect them from the grand illumination. The process, or whatever it did, was quick. After only moments, the emerald's glow died back down to normal and Silver's heart rhythm was restored to a much stronger pace.

Shadow was pleased with himself. He had done it. He had actively saved a life. Again.

"Silver, you came into the past to help us. I did not see it before. And now I've returned the favor. Recover well."

Shadow left the tent at about the same time Knuckles and Sonic entered it.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11 Insurmountable

A/N: Back again. Lol thank you for the reviews even after i had abandoned this story. I hope you enjoy this next little instalment!

crimson-obsidian-rose: Thx for the review and thanks for hanging around long enough for me to drag my lazy self back to the keyboard. I love your support.

spirit sl: Lol, thx i was never very good at commitment.

NTC Slaughterhouse Mania 2009: Hmm, nice name. And thx for the review, sorry i let you down with not enough updates.

Disclaimer: We don't own Sonic or anything that belongs to his greatness. What a shame.

Chapter 11: Insurmountable

'_I think, therefore I am.__'__ Descartes_

_Blaze. I miss you._

He saw her in his dreams. Saw her all the time. It brought back his happiness. Her smile gleamed. Her eyes sparkled. They were walking together over a small grassy elevation that looked over the Wild forest and the catacombs of gorges and mountains. Here was his home. Here was freedom.

_Collect seven, and a miracle__'__s supposed to happen._

_Keep it as a lucky charm._

"Blaze," they stopped walking, and he looked abstracted, "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Help me."

She smiled cheerfully at him, as if secretly knowing the answer to his problem. "Sometimes we all get confused and we all look for a purpose, Silver. But other things can motivate us in life. Like love, friendship, and family."

"I don't have any of those."

She grinned and jabbed his chest playfully with a paw. "Yes you do."

Silver chuckled haplessly. But behind it all, it still didn't change anything. Then, as quickly as the joy had sparked in his eyes, it faded. "I… I miss you Blaze."

"I know you do, but I'm always with you. Always. Remember that."

"I will."

"Good."

Then, as playfully and as free-hearted as a child, he took her by the hand and together they raced down the hill on that bright summer's day.

***

Sonic came into the tent for a brief visit at noon. He looked uneasy. Then, with kind requital, he asked, "How is he?"

Sally raised her hands in a half-hearted gesture. She accompanied this with a light shrug. "He's much better."

The blue hedgehog strode towards the bed, and sadly cast his eyes over him and said with little conviction; "we're doing okay, Sal. Trust me."

She wondered what he referred to. The battle? Silver? Or the fact that they were all surviving somehow? She decided it didn't really matter what Sonic meant, she trusted him no matter what.

Knuckles did come later, but he looked shaken and tattered. Sally offered him a chair and gave him a glass of water. Then while he rested, she bathed his worn paws in warm soapy water, then bandaged them up. The inflections he had received were going to leave scars.

"Stupid badniks," he drawled sublimely, "they never back down or give you the easy option. I don't want any cheap deaths." Sally smiled despite herself.

"Well, you can rest here. I don't mind the extra company."

"Princess?" Knuckles looked at her abstractly. Then stifled a shrug. "Naw. They need me out there."

Sally shook her head. "And Robotnik? What about his forces?"

Knuckles shook his head grimly. "His robots are very strong and intelligent, almost as if Eggman anticipated our move for war and I can't exploit any of their known weaknesses, yet." Then he pointed over to Silver. "How is he holding up?"

"He's got a fever. Can you do anything more for him?"

Sonic looked at them in turn. He had been the fortunate one so far. His quills were recovering from the attacks he used, but he hadn't been harmed like the others had, yet. He wondered how much longer his undue luck would last.

Knuckles gave Sally more herbs for Silver, then Shadow came promptly into the tent when Knux left, but he did not come for amelioration. He came for Silver. Sonic did not know what drove him, but Shadow had obviously been waiting for the younger hedgehog to recover and explain his cause. And the black hedgehog did not gently rouse Silver form slumber. He roughly, almost violently shook him awake.

"The hell?" Silver rubbed his eyes before trying to shove the offending arms off him. When he had woken up a little more, his vision was confronted by a pair of blood-red eyes. He had a feeling he wasn't going to have a desultory conversation.

The sky was a bruised purple. The wind was chilled and a storm was slowly clasping over the snowy hills. Inside the tent, Silver's shrill voice inflected the silence.

"I had these dreams… I kept dreaming of Shadow getting killed. Over and over. I never started to dematerialize or anything like that, I just made that part up to make it seem more urgent. You wouldn't have listened if I said it was all dreams."

"So you just came to the past because of a few dreams?"

"Yeah. I never actually knew if the real Shadow died or not in my time. But I had such strong feelings that something bad was going to happen to him. I had to see him!"

Shadow was leaning against the wall with his slim arms folded. He didn't look angry or displeased. In fact he appeared all very calm about it, as if he had already heard this sort of thing before.

Sonic tilted Silver's chin towards him, so that he forced the child to look directly into his eyes. "That was a dumb thing you did, pal. You nearly got killed out there, just because of a _maybe _premonition. Next time, just stay out of danger, okay?" He sounded almost patronizing, though he probably didn't mean it to sound like that.

"But I can take care of myself." He defended, before leaning away from the much older hedgehog.

Sally had to let out a small chuckle. When she saw Silver's scowl, she said, "I think you need to be a bit more careful before you think you can handle yourself."

Silver coerced a shrug and glanced ambivalently at them. Shadow was staring at the floor between his shoes. Sonic was watching him tediously.

"I think…" He gulped and fought for breath, "I think it's time I told you the real reason I came."

Sonic jumped to his feet. "What?"

Silver didn't lose his cool exterior, but he did notice Shadow raising his head in sudden interest. "What I have been telling you is still the truth," he exclaimed, "but its only partially true. I still had the dreams of Shadow, but the real reason I came to your present was…" He looked down at his blankets, as he was no longer able to meet their gaze, "to find Blaze."

Yet more befuddlement. Sonic sighed and was tempted to stand by Shadow and emulate his tactical frown. Just once he wanted to be an observer. Too see problems and solutions come and pass freely without interference. Alas, life didn't work like that.

Before Sally could ask him who Blaze was, Silver rushed on. "In the future," he persisted urgently, "you, Sonic, find the two chaos emeralds which had sealed Iblis inside her. When you used them, they unleashed her soul back into your dimension and Iblis along with her. The catastrophe resulted in flame and the death of Blaze. So, the future that I once knew replayed itself, only it was worse than before. Everything was dying and this affected my existence." He nervously pulled at his quilt, "I found the chaos emerald you dropped in Eggman's base and used it to go back exactly one year before you find the other two."

"Hold on," Sonic waved his hand in the air, "that doesn't make sense. You're saying that I find the emeralds. How can that be if we don't make it through this war?"

"You will." Silver replied earnestly, "it just lasts for that one year before you find the emeralds. You use them to help you stop it. But it doesn't work." He straightened his shoulders. "But I think I've played my part. I think the future's changed already."

"What makes you say that?"

Silver didn't respond. A glazed look misted over his eyes.

Shadow rebuked crossly, "why did you go back one year from when he discovers these emeralds? Why not two days? Or a night?" _Why go back to the point where life is just about to tip into hell._

Silver gave him an answer that could have been the truth, or it could have been just a ploy from the real reason. "Going back in time is not easy. I had to know the right co-ordinates… I had to use the full abilities of my psychokinesis to go back… how was I supposed to know the emerald would take me back one year before the event?" He coughed harshly, "I know from the way that you're staring that you don't believe me. Well that's just fine."

Sonic ignored the young hedgehog's irresolute temper, "where are the chaos emeralds? Where do I find them?"

He answered quietly. "I don't know. And even if you did find them, the events that took place in my past, may very well happen again. It's best that you don't find them."

"Yes, but something made me find them I'll wager. And I probably had to use them too."

Shadow cut in smoothly. "We won't know until we do find them. I suggest we start looking."

"No!" Silver had his gold eyes on them now, and his chest was heaving thinly, "you can't! It'll ruin everything!"

Shadow snorted. "We'll see, kid."

He turned and left. Sonic watched him go. Silver sounded very angry. "Are you all insane? Get Shadow to come back here!"

Sonic wistfully shrugged and left also. Shadow was gazing sharply at the mountains to the east outside the tent. He looked tall and strong against the soft light.

"I don't believe him." He murmured softly.

Sonic produced a fleshy smile. "We have to believe in some of it, or else why would he even bother coming to the past?"

Shadow didn't meet his eyes. "It just sounds so stupid. He says the future he's in replays itself, and becomes worse. How is that possible? If the future changes and rewrites everything, doesn't that affect him? I don't understand it."

Sonic stood in line with him. "What if he's telling the truth?"

"Doubt it. He's not telling us everything. Ever since he came here, he's been talking utter nonsense, like me getting killed. _Please._"

Sonic wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. He would have done if this had been any other day without wars and tribulations.

"Shads," the Ultimate Life Form tensed at the nickname, "I don't think I ever told you this, but Silver thinks he's a descendant from you." At that, Shadow threw his head back and chuckled. It was rare to hear him laugh for any reason and Sonic almost joined him. "That's what he said. In fact, that was almost the first darn thing he said to me when we met."

Shadow bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "Sonic, that is the most stupidest thing I have ever heard since I joined you."

"And why is that?"

He rested his hands on his hips, and the laughter was gone. "I was engineered. I am not a real hedgehog. You know that. Silver should know that. Why does he make these tales up?"

Sonic shrugged. "Maybe when he got shot, all his senses deserted him."

"Perhaps." In an apologetic tone, he added resolutely, "you must understand that we have to forget about him now, and continue with our battle. If you hadn't noticed, Eggman's winning."

The blue hedgehog didn't need reminding and he shot Shadow a look of annoyance. His anger dissipated fast however, and instead he held his head and sighed. "There is no food for anyone."

"What?"

"The food wagon that we brought with us… Eggman found out and destroyed it. So now we're low on provisions. We have smaller rations of course, but it's not the same."

"When did this happen?" Shadow held the hint in his voice that he was angry he was not informed earlier, or had not known and seen it for himself.

"A few hours ago."

Shadow grunted with malice. He saw Sonic wobble forward. Then he asked dryly, "when was the last time you slept?"

Sonic paused in mid-step and chuckled nervously. "Dunno. To be honest I don't think I have napped since this whole war started." Shadow's face tensed.

"Then you sleep for now. I'll take watch duty."

He smirked like an overzealous child. "You? Watch duty? Ah this is sweet!" He loved the befuddled expression Shadow threw at him; "you must be exhausted yourself. Have you rested since we started?"

"No."

The blue hedgehog whistled. "How can you be on watch duty then if you're just as tired as I am?"

"Who said I was tired?"

_Fine. Be difficult. _Sonic rested his blood stained gloves on his hips (he had forgotten to wash them) and set Shadow a hard smile. "Let's not argue. I admit I am tired and my back is literally _killing _me, but I can't rest. There are citizens out there, warriors who'll fall. The nightfighters did okay last night, but that was only because _we_ had to help them."

"Oh, keep your lectures to yourself. Sleep dammit, Sonic!" Shadow slapped his hand across the air to show his impatience, "it would be better to your entire force if you rest! You will be no use to any of them if you fight as tired as you are! You'll either get hurt, or you'll get killed. Got it?"

Sonic didn't lose his cool smile. "Okay. You've made your point. I'll rest, but I don't think I'll actually be able to sleep."

Shadow inwardly grinned. _Oh, you__'__ll be surprised. _He thought.

Sonic chose a smaller tent off the site from Sally's. It was picketed with several others that belonged to rats and foxes. All the tents faced inwards and in the center of them was a sooty patch of soil littered with burnt twigs. A recent fire had been made but there was no one around now except for the elite crocodile guards. Shadow felt that he didn't have to watch over Sonic after all. The guards knew their jobs.

Sonic opened up the tent and went inside. Shadow followed. Within its confinements, it was much smaller than Sally's, but it had just enough room for a flat bed. Inside, the air smelt thickly of cloves.

"Why aren't you going to sleep in Sally's tent?" Shadow asked.

"For two reasons." Sonic sat on the mattress and began rearranging the blankets. Some were still sodden with cold sweat from the last animal who had slept here. "For one, it's the smallest infirmary tent. I haven't been injured. I can't sleep there. And two, can you really fall asleep when you have all those machines and apparatus' in your ears?"

Shadow faintly smiled. "Right now," he said, "I feel like having toast with jam on top."

Sonic laughed. Shadow's strange mood and his allotted words made him feel much better.

He took off his gory gloves, ate a small meal of bread and water, and went under the blankets to sleep. Shadow left to allow him privacy.

Will Sonic make a mistake?

Is Silver lying to his very friends that seek to aid him?

Is Sally even safe where she is?

TBC


	12. Chapter 12 Robotnik

Catqueen 58: Omg lolol thx for the review!!!! Lol. Glad you want more lol yeah Silver is such a sweet, innocent little hedgehog.

crimson-obsidian-rose: Yeah Silver definitely wants to let it all out but no one seems to care at the moment. Thx for the review! You rock!

Blue Kaous: Yeah i know, my spelling and grammer can be utterly dreadful. Thanks for spotting that and i love your critical approach. It really helps.

Here's the next chappie:

Chapter 12: Robotnik

'_I am thirst, spearheaded hunger  
Sacrament and pain  
Nails raked in savagery.__'__–__ Cradle of Filth __–__ Queen Of Winter, Throned_

*******

The second Shadow entered Sally Acorn's tent, the squirrel pasted a grin and said, "oh good, your back. Shadow, can you watch over Silver for me? I need some shut eye."

The Ultimate Life form could not hide the horror on his face. "Come again?"

She coughed to clear her throat. "Shadow, know your place."

The hedgehog squirmed from where he stood. Then, as if something gave way from within him, he stiffly bowed and murmured, "princess."

"Better." She lit another candle, then stretched and yawned. "I have been up who knows how many hours. I need my rest. You can take care of him, can't you?" She pointed at Silver who was busy flicking through a picture book. He was probably listening to their whole conversation and not paying any attention to the book at all. "You understand each other, right?"

Shadow wanted to laugh. He wanted to bring out a blade and cut his own head off. Instead, he merely nodded and said, "any news, princess, on the other casualties?"

She shook her head. "I used my communicator earlier, and there were two casualties exactly one mile from here. They both died this morning. Eggman isn't making casualties. He's killing practically every victim he can find. It makes me sick."

_And now I have to baby-sit the only survivor. _He crossed his arms. "How goes the battle?"

Sally sighed. "I had to sent six of the elite guards out there to help."

"What?" That meant there was only three royal guards out there, and three was not enough. "Do you realize how vulnerable you are now? If so much as one robot comes this way…"

"I know." She suddenly sounded very sad. "But those people out there, _my_ people, are losing the battle and they need those guards more than me." She started putting away medicine bottles and throwing dirty syringes into a bucket to be disposed of. "How's Sonic?"

"Sleeping. I told him to rest."

She nodded. "I would have done the same thing. He needs it. We all do. How long do you think we'll hold in this fight?"

Shadow folded his arms and brooded. "I honestly can't say for sure." His personal backup forces had helped substantially. But when Silver got brought down, and both he and Sonic withdrew from the fight, they had been bitterly losing. Shadow couldn't uphold his quality of fighting power forever. He was fatigued. "If they breach the border, and break our forces," he was saying, "then Robotnik will dissect our homes and families. There will be no stopping him." Robotnik may have pulled back before. He may have reconsidered his options and stopped the fight himself. As Sally had mentioned before, Eggman had to rule over _something_. It was no good killing your slaves and then having no one but yourself to do your chores. But Sonic and everyone else had made the evil doctor very angry. They had opposed him by formulating an army of their own, and had attacked his precious head quarters. Eggman was probably so angry, he was melting with ire in his fat-chair.

"So, I suggest you take a nap Shadow, while keeping an eye on Silver. Tails contacted me earlier. His going to get a new plane."

_How? _Shadow wanted to ask, but didn't. Silver interrupted him. "Princess, how long will you be gone?"

"Four hours, Silver." She threw a hairbrush into a duffel bag and some sleeping pills. Then she gave them a courteous bow and left the tent. Shadow snorted, then turned on Silver. "Care to explain what you said to me earlier? About your time travel and collecting all seven emeralds?"

"I don't feel like talking." And he turned back to his book.

Shadow wanted to hit him. Here he was, being looked after and he didn't show one ounce of his appreciation by telling them why he was here!

Shadow grabbed the chair Sonic often used and unfavorably sat down. It was warm in the tent, compared to the snow-laden world outside. And no matter how hard he listened; he could not hear the fighting outside. All he could hear was the constant rasp of the breathing machine attached to Silver.

He turned and asked a little hurtfully, "how's your new bullet hole?"

Silver grimaced and shrugged but continued looking at the pages in his book. "I wouldn't know. I don't look at it, but thanks."

And he knew why Silver didn't want to look at it. The blood had still managed to seep through all the layers Sally had placed over it.

"Didn't she stitch it?"

Again, he shrugged. Then he asked, "why did you start this war?"

Shadow lowered his chin so that it pressed down on the white tuft of fur on his chest. "Sonic started it. He thought it would fix our problems. But it didn't. It's got us nowhere. But I've stood by him. We had to do something, Silver. Robotnik can't rule forever."

Silver turned another page. Then he closed it. "I've run out of books to read. Tell me about the chaos emeralds."

"I thought you knew how to use them?"

"No. I only know how to travel through time with them."

"I can't."

Silver looked dejected. "Why not?"

"Because you're too young to understand."

"But Amy knows! She's younger!"

"She doesn't know anything about them."

"Fine!" Silver sniped, and he put his book down and rose the blankets to rest over his sternum. "The least you can do is just talk to me. Say anything. Or read me a bedtime story."

Shadow thought he was going to vomit. "In your dreams." He retorted darkly. "Why don't you tell me why you're even here? In this time?"

"I've already told you." Was his answer.

Shadow stood up and grabbed Silver by the tuft of his white fur. "Sonic told me that you told him I was your ancestor. What rubbish! Tell me the truth!"

"But I have!" The respiratory system pulsed with loud noise as Silver took panicked breaths, "everything I've said is the truth!"

"No it isn't! I can't have kids! So how come you exist?"

Silver didn't have the strength to struggle. Instead he yelled sharply, "Sally! Help! He's trying to kill me!"

Shadow reluctantly let go of him. "I'm not trying to kill you." He replied bitterly, "if I was trying, you would have been dead the moment I walked into this stupid tent."

"Then why?"

"I saved you. I used your chaos emerald to stop the bleeding. Thanks to me, you're still alive. Now do I deserve an explanation as to why you are here?"

Silver rose his arms in front of his chest to defend himself. "How come? That's impossible!"

"It isn't. I did it."

Surgical knives from a stand beside Silver's bed leapt up into the air and poised their pointy tips at Shadow. They glowed a lime green.

Shadow only narrowed his eyes. "Using your psychokinesis will only weaken your condition. I wouldn't try it."

Silver didn't look like he was listening. The bucket of old syringes joined the brigade of knives so that they floated in the air delicately, waiting for a command. "You don't care." He panted, "I came to the past to save you, Shadow, and this is how you repay me? Get out now before I hurt you!"

Shadow remained where he was. "I can't leave. Sally gave me strict instructions to supervise your ass."

"That's it!" The knives and the bucket were thrown like shrapnel at Shadow. But the terrible effort it cost on Silver was in vain. Shadow merely warped in the air, then reappeared in the exact same place after the debris hit the tent wall. Several of the surgical knives had got wedged into the fabric. Once the bucket had landed, it oozed with needles. While Silver was wheezing pensively for air, Shadow grabbed a knife and pressed it up against his throat. "Now tell me!" He snapped softly.

"Or what? Just remove my breathing mask, that'll probably kill me. You don't need to shed blood."

Shadow smirked, "thanks for the tip." He pressed the knife harder. He had no intention to physically hurt Silver, he just wanted him to profess.

"All right, I'll tell you, just get that knife away from me!" He choked, eyes wide. Shadow relented and dropped the knife. "When I said that you do die, I meant it! Honest!" He added when the black hedgehog raised his lip in a snarl, "but you were supposed to die minutes after I came, because I journeyed to the point of when you were about to die, but you didn't." He rubbed his neck, though there wasn't a single cut on it.

"So the past has already changed then?"

"I guess so."

"Then why does my death supposedly change everything? Why are you here?"

"When you died, Sonic lost the will to fight. And if I were to cut straight to the point, Robotnik won. He managed to get all six emeralds in my time, but he never found the seventh, because I found it first. When he found out, these robot troops came for me, so I escaped into the past to prevent it from ever happening."

Shadow frowned. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

He walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed. "Then what about all this stuff about Blaze? And you collecting all seven?"

"Just wishful thinking."

"That was stupid. So you did feed us a bunch of lies, just so you could get your hands on those emeralds. You're as bad as Robotnik." At this, Silver slumped in his bed, suddenly looking smaller and frailer.

He stood up again and started to leave. Silver rose a hand up as if he could stop him. "Wait, where are you going?"

Shadow glared hatefully at him. His blood-red orbs pierced his soul. "I'm going to tell Sonic everything you've told me. You can look after yourself."

***

Though Sonic had escaped from the physical battle, he could not escape the battle playing over and over in his dreams. Robotnik's dark, soulless eyes were everywhere. His walrus cheeks wobbled with his laughter, and his skin folded and oozed like lumps of dough.

"Fight me Sonic! Fight me!"

Sonic ran in the darkness, and he pulverized robots as he went, but the memory of his spines still hurting carried on with him, and the pain only seemed to increase after each attack.

Finally, Robotnik re-materialized himself from the darkness and stood there like a proud Emperor. He had a long blood red cape, with shoes and gloves to match. His narrow, dark eyes however, seemed to bleed darkness. "So glad you could come. Coffee?" Out of nowhere, he produced a steaming cup of what was presumably coffee. He held it delicately in his hand. Sonic shook his head. Robotnik didn't seem too offended. He merely threw it in the blackness whereupon it simply vanished again. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, the battle." His big fat belly rumbled as he spoke. Sonic stayed far back, and he ground his feet onto the black floor. "Do you really wish to waste more lives upon my armies? Why don't you just retreat entirely Sonic and call it a day? Before you lose someone you really care about."

"I want you dead, Eggman."

The obese human chortled thickly. "Ha ha, ahh Sonic, I see you haven't lost your sense of humor. Good for you. Now, see what you have done." He lifted his ruby cape and an image came to light within the cape. It was almost as if Sonic were peering into a mirror. There were flashes of light, guns, blood. There was no sound. The oval image provided him with faces, the detail of the wounds sustained, and the hard storm of gunfire as it rained down upon animals. Then, as quickly as it was shown, Eggman concealed it again and Sonic was left to face nothing but the fat giant.

"See? I told you!" The fat man said, his voice as thick as congealed jelly, "now why don't you just give up?"

"I'll never give up!" His eyes shone resolutely. "Never."

Eggman frowned and his smile was smudged away almost instantly. "So be it." From out of nowhere, a cold wind gripped Sonic, and when he turned around, he found himself standing in the middle of a snowy valley. The hard pinpricks of ice and snow melted into his fur. The harsh weather gorged down upon the hills and shrubs. When he looked back, he saw that Robotnik had gone.

Sonic opened his eyes and rubbed away the sleep. He ached. His very bones seemed to grind against one another. A few hours of sleep felt like it hadn't done him any good at all.

The tent he was in seemed so gloomy and cold. One of the corner flaps on the edge of the tent had opened, allowing a steady stream of snow to come bundling in like confetti. He yawned, threw his arms open to stretch them, then managed to struggle out of his makeshift bed.

The dreams echoed. Eggman's fat, moist voice whistled behind his ears like a dark promise.

He closed the flap and held it shut with a handy stone. Then he gulped down ice cold water and finished his ration of grapes and a wrapped portion of salted beef. The food did little to ameliorate him.

He stepped outside. He must have slept the entire night away. The dawn was just beginning, and its brilliant hues of dark crimson and brazen violet set a dark cast over the valley. The battle was still going on, the gunfire was less so, and the snow was dark with the stain of not oil, but blood.

He looked across at the infirmary tent and saw Shadow getting a lecture from Princess Sally. Shadow was bruised from recent fighting, but right now he was undergoing a battle of patience as Sally shouted and snapped at him. But what pleased him the most was that Silver had come outside to grin at Shad's dilemma. He was standing! And he looked so much better. Sonic wistfully came over himself. When Sally noticed him, she stopped in mid-sentence.

"Sonic? Did you have a good rest?" She asked.

"I did." He glanced over at Shadow. "What mess have you got into this time?"

Sally answered for him. "He left Silver on his own. Which was fine, considering the fact that he can stand."

"I have limits though," Silver said with a wink, "my breathing tubes won't let me go any further."

"Good." Said Shadow darkly. Sally stepped on his foot. He swallowed down a curse.

"You sleep now, Shadow, and think what you have done," Sonic said teasingly, "and try not to upset anyone else!"

"I'll try if I don't have to wipe everyone's noses!" Shadow stalked off. Sonic and Sally giggled softly. But, after a short laugh, Sally looked sullen and forlorn again.

"We have to move." She said. "We're losing. The fighting is getting too close."

"Why don't you use my chaos emerald?" Silver asked hoarsely, "we can beat them!"

"What makes you think you're going back out there?" Sally snapped at him gruffly. To add to her words, she shoved him back into the tent. He didn't come back out.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13 Sonic

A/N: Hey guys I'm going to issue a new warning in this chapter. Robotnik in this fic is not like the Eggman at all that you see in cute and fluffy SONIC X. This Robotnik is much more like the SATM series evil genius. Maybe even more sinister than that. And pure evil. You would not even want to know what he'd do to an animal once he caught it. Just take your average human for example with an abattoir.

There's going to be character death and blood and swearing. If you do NOT like that sort of thing, please, please skip this chapter. Oh yeah and you may have noticed that Sonic dumbly calls Shadow Shads. It's dumb I know. But bear with it. Lol.

And Clave is some past dragon robot i used for Sonic Heroes.

Warning: Blood and character death.

******

Chapter 13: Sonic

'_And from below the foot of the valley the darkness gathered into motion.__'__ Mordant__'__s Need __–__ A Man Rides Through __–__ Stephen Donaldson_

********

Sonic was standing on a ridge, watching the battle. He had a backpack on, which he had managed to obtain from a camp, and in that backpack was the green emerald. But still, even with the power of chaos, one emerald could do little against a force of _so _many.

Shadow had found him earlier after Sally had dismissed him. His features seemed to burn in anger and resentment. And he told Sonic what Silver had told him.

'_He managed to get all six emeralds in my time, but he never found the seventh, because I found it first.__'_

"So where are the others?" If only he could turn super and show Robotnik that you couldn't cull animals into a corner before destroying them. Now however, the only way to get by, was to retreat. Sonic, and someone else capable enough, had to defend their army while they fled. There was a ravine to the west, not too far from battle. If they could all make it there, Robotnik's army would be bottlenecked, and so they wouldn't be able to come at them as fiercely or do so much damage. And he wanted his partner to be Shadow in this. There was no one else could maneuver as quickly.

He allowed Shadow to sleep for a few hours before coming to rouse him. The black hedgehog wasn't happy about being disturbed. In fact, he wasn't happy about anything. He cursed and spat, and his wounds still sore. Sonic guided him out of the tent, and together before nightfall, they planned.

Before they departed, Shadow slid off his bangles from his wrists. The golden bands hit the snow with a soft _ding._ Sonic cocked his head at him and his face was cast in shadow.

"Shads, what are you doing?"

"I told you not to call me by that name." The bones underlying his features seemed to become iron; his eyes seemed to catch and reflect the light like tempered and polished metal. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with muffled strength – and veiled threats. "I'm taking off my restraints so I can use my full power."

"Is that wise?" He didn't mean to sound almost like he was patronizing him, and Shadow glared at him. Sonic smiled grimly. "All right, just remember not to use all your strength, otherwise we'll be in a bit of a jam!"

"Whatever."

Shadow left the bangles on the floor as if they were discarded rubbish.

Dusk settled like a thick sponge over the snowy valley. Sonic was ready, but kept getting this bad feeling that something was going to go wrong. Shadow knew his part of the plan, and together, they dashed down a hill and split up. Sonic went left and met up with the flank of his army. The captain of the brigade was Salter, the stoat. Half his face had gone, and blood had soaked into the fur of his throat and mouth. Sonic tried not to appear disgusted by the sight and instead felt pity. "We need to turn round and escape into the ravine," the hedgehog was saying, "that way, Robotnik will be slow to follow us and he won't be able to flank us."

"A reasonable plan," the aged stoat sounded contemptuous, "but there is mist in the ravines. We'll get lost easily and that filthy human may just pick us off easier there than here." His one eye blinked fiercely.

"That won't happen, I'll make sure of it. The mist will clear at dawn before it settles again. Then we can escape."

"Escape where?" Asked a gold feathered bird.

"Yes, where?"

Sonic tried to clear his head. "Back to our homes, to defend them."

"That won't work." A cheetah came up to him, and like the stoat, he was gravely injured. Some of his teeth were missing and he had lost one arm. The stump had been coated in gauge, but even then the blood shone through. "I've seen Robotnik's dark magic. These tiny bots, called nano-implants, have been invading our camp. Do you know what they do?"

Feeling like a novice, Sonic shook his head.

The cheetah continued ruefully, "they infiltrate your mind. They set brother upon brother."

"What he's trying to say is," interrupted the stoat with half a face, "is that tiny insects come from nowhere, attach themselves to you, and possess your mind, and these poor creatures go berserk and try to kill their families. The only way to stop them, is to kill them."

Sonic's mouth hung open. After his shock had subsided a little, he asked, "how big are these insects? What should I be looking for?"

"They're green." Replied half a face, "and they're as small as your toenails. I'm not joking. Me and Bargeia saw one the other night. We stomped on it before it could do any harm."

_Just wonderful._

He wanted to tell Shadow this, but there was no way of reaching him now. He had a job to do.

_But__…__ mind-control bugs?_

Absurd as it sounded, it was very frightening. Sonic was now paranoid enough to keep a constant eye on the ground to spot any bugs.

He led his team over the snow-drenched ground, and he saw the side Shadow was on doing the same thing. The robots however, were clenched for an attack like a sharpened bolt of lightening. They ploughed into the flanks of Sonic's army and sank their mottled metal teeth into soft flesh. Birds and hedgehogs whirled to fight the threat. Shadow pierced through the barrier of animals and rammed into the machines. His aid gave enough time for more of the animals to retreat without harm. That was until, machines broke from the mud and pulled creatures underground. Eggman had thought of everything. If you couldn't fight your enemy directly, you could fight him from the air and the ground.

Screams jostled the retreat. Shadow kept to his side. He didn't aid Sonic's half of the army.

Vexed, but not consumed with anger, Sonic decided to defend both sides by himself. It was a task that may have been considered impossible, but he was going to do it.

He rushed over to the metallic foes, shoved them hard with his overused spines, he kicked and he punched. Knuckles was nowhere to be seen. Amy was in one of the tent's near Sally. (Amy had given up fighting because she had got scratched on her knee), and Tails was lost to them. His communications had been in his planes, and without them, there was no way to reach him with the communicators.

Hot and bleeding, Sonic got out his emerald from his backpack. It was supposed to be used as a last resort, but it was time to get out his guns. Clenching the gem tightly, he showered his foes with chaos splinters. A metal bird he did not see, knocked him down and his face received a mouthful of dirt and snow. The bird reared like a dinosaur, ready to spear its peak into him when Shadow kicked it headlong into its comrades. He helped Sonic to his feet, with fury etched in the lines of his face. Then they teleported away from the dense fighting. "Sonic! You're not doing your part! The bastards are coming in like flies! You have to defend your side!"

"No! There's too many! We have to break away!" Sonic said between his teeth.

Shadow pushed him aside. "No! I will not take that order!" He was like a coiled spring, tightened to the point of outbreak. "Do as _I _say!"

"What's your reason for ordering me around like this?" He asked darkly.

"That reason is being able to protect others with the power that I've got."

Sonic wanted to slap him. _No! You follow my orders! And you do them without question! We__'__re saving lives now! Not winning wars! You__'__re not protecting them this way!_

"Well, I'm in charge, Shadow." He used his full name. His dark rival stared at him malevolently, as if he were planning in his head the best way to attack Sonic. They stared heatedly at one another, and at last, it was Shadow who backed down.

"Fine." He snarled, feral with anger, "do as you wish, but nobody controls me. Fight as you wish, hedgehog." He turned and warped away. Sonic lifted his lips in ire himself. The gesture caused his bottom lip to split.

_So be it._

So it was back to the fighting, on his own. He tried to group the animals in as much as possible. But panic stemmed from them like a fever and they didn't listen to commands. They broke apart like water. Without Shadow, he was getting nowhere.

***

Robotnik took a sip of his charnade. It was a rare wine. The best wine in all of Mobius and he had harvested it, he had labored to deliver the best delicacies that this fifthly land had to offer.

"Honestly, it's like a zoo out there." He watched the battle progress on one of his large screens. He had many, all of them at different angles, and one always watching Sonic's movements. In all, there were fifty-two screens showing the war, and he marveled like a boy, watching, waiting. Robotnik had lost many robots. Some of them had been his best, but really, the loss wasn't that big of a deal. There were hundreds, no, thousands more and they skinned the animals like it was a slaughter house.

Robotnik laughed at them.

He refilled his goblet of wine by the decanter beside him and pressed the rim of the glass to his fat lips. His chair creaked under his vast weight and his stomach wobbled and slouched like dough.

Oh, how he loved to see them die. A few foxes got murdered under the explosion of VIGIL290 (a turtle robot), and as he discerned their burning corpses on screen, he thought of how many fur coats and scarves these creatures would make.

He chuckled to himself. His fat fist gripped the base of his chair until a trickle of wine fell from his cup and splashed across the armor on his chest.

A robot whom he had spent years designing, named Clave, walked up beside him like a dutiful servant.

"Clave," his voice boomed in the room, "how are my bugs doing?"

"Sir, two-thirds of them have been destroyed."

Now Robotnik lost his cheery smile. "What?" Spit shot from his moist lips.

"But the last remaining have done a good portion of damage."

Robotnik grinned despite the news, which had despaired him for a few seconds. "And Sonic? Have you sent one to my good friend?" He gulped down a mouthful of bitter wine and his fat face twisted.

"It's on its way."

"Good." He swiveled in his chair, his black eyes back on the monitor screens. He pressed a few buttons on the handle bar of his chair and one screen blinked and showed live action of Shadow. "I always reward my betrayers." He spat, his voice livid but his face still adorned that evil grin. "I never forget them. And he will get his rewards soon." He smile widened so much that his white teeth showed and they gleamed under the harsh lights of the room. "Now, Clave, go and do my bidding."

The dragon robot nodded obediently like a dog and walked out of the room. Robotnik then peeled into bouts of convulsive laughter. Tears tricked from his eyes. The wine in his goblet threatened to spill. "I love what I do!"

***

Sally was talking into her communicator back at her tent. The news from the battle was not good. Silver was breathing adequately without his facemask. Of course, being in the infirmary tent all the time led to huge levels of boredom, so while Sally was distracted, he slipped outside into the cold snowy world. He didn't go every far. On the ground he noticed there was a small topaz colored insect that looked like a strange beetle with wings. Silver was overjoyed. Insects were rare in his time.

Being careful so as not to damage it, he picked it up in his bare hands and studied it with glee.

"Wow, you're stunning." He decided to take it back inside to show Sally. When he tried to show her it, back inside the dismal tent, she was still talking into the communicator.

"No, I want to talk to Sonic!" She was muttering, as she tried to keep calm, "can't you see I'm worried?"

Silver tried to show her the bug he had caught. "Princess, it's so pretty! Look!"

"Not now Silver, can't you see I'm on the communicator!" She exclaimed shrilly.

The white hedgehog shrugged and went back to sit on his bed. He let the bug have a wonder on the blankets. After a closer look at it, he began to see that it looked more like it was made out of metal than anything else.

"Weird."

Amy came in, sporting a huge bandage on his left knee. She moaned and groaned about it, despite the wound being little more than a scratch she had got from falling over. However, she said she had got the wound from fighting a seven meter tall badnik.

"Where's Sonic?" She asked, "I want to see him!"

"He's not here." Silver got up and passed the bug to her. "Look at this! I found it just outside! What do you think it is?"

The instant he placed it in her hands, she shrieked and recoiled. The bug dropped like a stone to the floor. "Ewww! Silver you moron! I hate bugs!"

"Sorry!" He rebuked unkindly, "now you've probably hurt it!" He looked down to find it, but he couldn't see it anywhere. "You've lost it!" His boyish features tightened with vexation.

"Who cares! Here I am worried about Sonic and all you can do is look after your pretty pet!" She stamped on the floor wildly. Sally had left the tent to talk into her communicator without the commotion.

Meanwhile, the bug had left the camp at a quick crawl, intent to find its true, programmed target.

***

A bomb was deployed from the air. When Knuckles, Rouge and the Chaotix looked up, they saw that it had been Tails who had unleashed the weapon and the freedom fighters crowed with joy. The plane was a small prototype. Nobody knew how Tails had managed to acquire it, but it did substantial damage to the right side of Eggman's army. Hot metal spewed like vomit, fire cascaded like liquid water. But it still wasn't enough.

Shadow plunged into the frontline. Then he retreated. Then he plunged again. The enemy closed in around him like vultures. The line of animals bent under the charge of Eggman's army. Their retreat to the ravine was too slow. They would all be killed before they got there. Shadow's shoes crunched as he stood over corpses of his fallen comrades. The ground was layered with the dead.

The sadness of the situation pushed his fierceness aside and he thought of Maria. She had saved him. She had scarified her own life and he didn't want it. He wanted to close his eyes against the pain. He didn't want to see when she got shot. He didn't want to see the bullet that tore into her chest. He didn't want to see the blood that gushed and bubbled like a thick stream.

Behind him, the screams of Sonic's army transformed to tumult and chaos. The robots cut through them. There were only a score of them left…

Shadow focused on the battle once more and his eyes sharpened in the daylight.

_I will die here today. Maybe Silver did speak some truth. But I am glad he is right._

He threw himself into the enemy's arms.

Sonic was exhausted. He needed water. He needed rest. But oh Gods they were losing.

"To the ravine! Run for it!" It was barely a league away, but still, no one was listening. Half face was gone. Dead with his comrades. Bertha, the dragon that breathed fire, had also been taken down. There was hardly anyone left.

"Fuck this, I'm going home!" Yelled Vector. The crocodile, with a spear in his hand, ripped past Sonic in his haste. Sonic tried to stop him.

"Wait! Come back!"

He suddenly got an itch at the back of his ear and he scratched at it fervidly. He saw a red hot blast from the south. Shadow had just used his chaos blast again.

When he was done scratching, he pulled his hand away and saw a tiny metal insect leg on the tip of his finger. It caught in the wintry sunlight, shining in his eyes. "What the?" He reached back behind his ear but could find nothing else. Maybe it came from one of the debris while he had been fighting Eggman?

As he went to step forward, a kind of loss of realism hit him and he staggered instead. His legs turned cold and numb, and icicles slithered up and down his arms. "What?" His confusion mounted. He didn't panic. He couldn't panic. Maybe he was really, really tired and that was all.

He fell to his knees. A pain started in the back of his head. He didn't know what to do.

He slapped both hands to his head. The pain increased until it burned. His eyes diluted. Blackness swam before him; it was like he was in sinking in the middle of a dark ocean.

Sonic grunted and fought against the pain. He fought against the burning numbness that crept into his body. He shivered violently. The snow melted around his knees.

"_Fuck_!" His vision was dissipating altogether. He needed help. He needed someone to tell him what to do. "What's happening t-to me?"

The pain fell upon him like bricks.

He screamed.

And then, when he opened his eyes, all he saw was red and all he felt was the passion, to kill.

Shadow panted angrily. He spat blood from his mouth. Disemboweled robots lay at his feet like trash. "You've… you've got to do better than that… Eggman…"

"Shadow!" He turned sharply. It was Rouge. The bat landed neatly beside him. Her makeup had been smeared over her face, making her look aghast under the baleful light of the sun.

"What?" He gasped, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. His limbs shook. He didn't know how much longer he could fight for.

"Look at you! You've got to retreat! You'll kill yourself!"

Her concern made him sneer at her. He lifted his hand and wiped the blood from his lips. "Go home, Rouge." He told her venomously, "I don't want another corpse under my feet."

His steel, icy tone made her hang back. "What? So you're just gonna keep fighting? You can't beat Eggman all by yourself, Shadow. That's stupid."

"Maybe, but at least I try." He held her gaze darkly. She blinked heavily, unable to decide what to do.

"I've managed to make some of the freedom fighters retreat. The ravine's almost within walking distance. You can make it too."

"Oh really?" His sardonic tone hit her like an icy bullet.

Her belligerent mood wasn't helped. "Shadow, if you don't move then…" A sudden, unseen wind clenched her for a moment. Perplexed, she turned and saw Sonic standing behind her. "Oh, hello Sonic." She said sordidly, "come to fight 'til you drop too?" But when she looked into his wide eyes, she saw that they were not the brazen green color they once were. They were pale and blue. Almost bland in appearance. "Sonic?" She asked when he did not respond.

Shadow stepped forward, ignoring the crunch of bone and metal under his feet. "Sonic? What are you doing here?"

The blue hedgehog turned to face him, and he grinned. But it was not a grin Sonic dished out when he was glad or happy. It was an evil grin, one that Shadow never thought he'd see.

Sonic's eyes seemed to latch onto Shadow's, and the blue hedgehog, with one hand, hit Rouge across the face. He didn't even look at her as she fell. But Shadow jumped into full throttle. He slammed into Sonic, sending the younger hedgehog into the air. He landed rather heavily into a ditch of snow. Shadow had done him no harm.

The dark hedgehog came to Rouge's side. "Are you hurt?" He asked simply.

She shook her head, her eyes swollen with shock and bewilderment. "Why… why did he do that?"

Seeing that she was okay, Shadow stood to his full height and watched as Sonic got to his feet also.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Shadow grated as a cold ripple of snowy air touched their fur, "why did you hit her?"

Again, Sonic didn't speak. He just grinned. The sight greatly unnerved the darker hedgehog.

Pissed off, Shadow spat at the floor and went to help Rouge to her feet. The bat was shaking. Tears welled up in her eyes, then cascaded down her cheeks like thick raindrops.

"Thank you, Shadow." She murmured deferentially. She got her legs under her and stood.

"Leave us, Rouge." He whispered this time.

"I can't!" She replied helplessly, "not without you!"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Now leave."

As sudden as the wind, she saw something in the corner of her eyes and she snapped, "LOOK OUT!"

Shadow turned too slowly. He didn't see it coming.

Sonic flew into him like a rock and Shadow went hurtling into the ground. His kneecap ripped on a stone and he cried out. Blood spurted out in docile bursts, leaving wet, small puddles of blood on the snow laden earth.

"SONIC!" His scream tore at the air until it rang. "What are you doing?"

The blue hedgehog was still smiling like a crazed lunatic. Some of Shadow's blood had flicked onto his face like red paint. He licked it off as they lay together on the floor.

Shadow went to move. Sonic grabbed the white tuft of fur on his chest and powered a fist into Shadow's face. His nose cracked under the force, making his countenance look as though he wore a crimson mask.

Hurt and angry, Shadow kicked Sonic off him. Sonic caught the blow in the stomach, and he spun in the air, landing perfectly on his feet. He stood there proudly, as if he had never been harmed.

Shadow on the other hand, had blood all over him. He pressed a hand to his ripped knee, and cursed. He had to keep his mouth open, unable to breathe through his smashed nose.

"Sonic, what's going on?" His voice broke momentarily and he coughed deeply. "Why are you attacking me? I'm not your enemy!"

Sonic didn't seem to have heard him, but his ears were pricked forward, and he advanced slowly, his footsteps bitter and heavy. He was preparing for another attack.

"Stop!" He yelled anguishly at him, "stop it now!"

He kept coming.

Rouge had her hands over her mouth. Tears dribbled down her white cheeks. She was silent except for the occasional sob that wrenched through her.

Shadow didn't think that he could stand. Sonic was getting closer. He had to fight, even if it meant hurting his friend.

He didn't want to do it.

But maybe if he hit Sonic hard enough he would knock him back to his senses.

Sonic shot forward again like a living torpedo. Shadow joined the charge and they smashed into one another.

Sonic caught Shadow's left ear with his teeth, tearing the soft tissue. Shadow hissed with infuriation as blood spurted from his torn ear. He lashed out with a sharp kick, straight into Sonic's chest. He swore he heard a rib crack and Shadow hesitated. He didn't want to do this. He couldn't fight Sonic this way. What if he killed him?

Sonic fell away, and only briefly held his sternum before meeting his adversary's eyes again. His teeth showed, white and malign, between his lips; loathing stretched all the mercy out of his features.

Shadow was dripping with bloodied sweat. "Sonic, listen to me!" The blood from his nose fell into his mouth, staining his teeth, "come to your senses! Can't you see that fighting me is getting you nowhere? I am not your target!" He begged Sonic to listen. He ached to see his old self. What had happened to him? "Please!" He slouched. He couldn't stand using his weight on both legs. "Listen to me!"

His words fell on deaf ears. Sonic came at him once more.

Rouge seemed to shrivel further and further into the ground. She sat there, huddled and sobbing.

The hedgehog's shadows danced on the ground as the two foes threw themselves at each other's throats. The sun glimmered like a gorgon's burning eye. Snow was kicked up. Blood lacerated the soil.

Sonic's eyes remained bland and impassive to what he was doing. He struck out his actions like a puppet. It was almost as if he had no idea what he was doing at all. But his attacks did not ease. He seemed to be getting stronger.

Shadow did not understand why his friend was this way. He could not use chaos blast. That might kill him. So instead he used his kicks and punches. It all seemed even until Sonic fled, only to get the emerald out from his bag. Shadow gasped.

"Sonic! NO!"

The emerald pulsed with divine light. It enveloped Shadow in its translucent lustre. The red quilled hedgehog tried to defend with the dark powers of his own, but that defense cost him an exertion, which seemed to shred his energy. He couldn't hold on. His chest swelled with pain. Blood rose in his throat.

_Sonic, please don__'__t do this._

Unexpectedly, Sonic lost that misty look in his eyes and that emerald hue returned, if only for a heartbeat. Then it was clouded over swiftly.

_Maria__…_

_Hold on._

_I can__'__t__…_

With an effort, which felt desperately heroic, Shadow tried to break the emerald's seal over him.

'_If that if your final decision, you despicable critter, then fine. I warned you. You will pay for this, Shadow. And not just with your life.__'_

"Eggman…"

Images, flashes of past events filled his head.

Robotnik.

This had to be Robotnik's doing.

Sonic was probably being controlled.

With a last roar of rage and pain, the aura around him from the emerald shattered like glass. Then, using his last reserves of strength, he went straight at Sonic. When he was close enough, and before the blue hedgehog could defend himself, Shadow landed a heavy punch on his skull. Sonic fell and cracked his head on the ground. Blood leaked from Sonic's ears and his pasty blue eyes were watery with tears. He wasn't smiling anymore, and for that Shadow was glad.

Unable to hold his own body up anymore, Shadow fell to the floor lifelessly.

Sonic rose to his head, cradling his head. The emerald had dropped to the floor and even without an owner, it still throbbed with irresistible light.

Angry from being knocked down, Sonic scooped the gem into the palm of his hand and limped over to his fallen antagonist.

For the first time in his entranced state, he spoke. "Now to finish you off!" His voice didn't sound natural. It was dark and lifeless. He crept up to Shadow's inert form and held the emerald high in his hand. "Now you die!"

Shadow grinned, opened up his own hand and a shot of dark light hit Sonic square in the eyes. Blinded by the attack, Sonic retreated, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

Rouge fought back her fear and rushed up to Shadow. "Get up!" She shrieked at him, "come with me and we'll get out of here!"

Shadow never thought he would hear her so frightened for him. "I can't." He stated past the blood that poured from his mouth and nose. "I've used up all my energy."

She noticed that he didn't have his bangles on. "You can try! Get up, come on! Before he comes back!" Her tears dropped down and hit his gory face.

"You go, Rouge," he told her, "before he decides to hurt you again."

"No! I won't leave you!"

"Pah! Why?"

As they spoke, Sonic regained his sight and he looked very angry. His pale eyes were livid. It was time to end this.

Shadow saw Sonic advancing. "Rouge, fuck off! Before he kills you!"

The bat was hesitant. She gingerly wiped some of the gore away from his chin. "No."

Sonic was too close. He kicked the bat aside. Shadow didn't notice him come so quickly.

"Don't you touch her!" He tried to rise. He tried to grab Sonic's arm. He saw metal fall away from Sonic's ear, but that small detail was lost when a fist met his face.

"I touch who I like." He said dankly. He moved so that he stood over his nemesis. "I hope you have a good time in hell."

Again, he rose the emerald.

Shadow shut his eyes, expecting death. But nothing happened. When Shadow opened his eyes, Sonic was still standing over him. He had the gem in his grip, ready to bore it down. He didn't. It was then that Shadow noticed the green hue in Sonic's eyes. The emerald coloring grew deeper, brandishing the once blue paste. Finally, all remnants of the mist in his orbs seemed to vanish, and Sonic stood quivering. His emerald eyes blinked a few times, and the chaos gem fell from his grasp.

Shadow couldn't see well anymore. His once sharp crystal vision had crumbled. However, the pain he was feeling was starting to fade. Numbness took its place.

"Sonic?" He choked.

The blue hedgehog sounded pitifully scared when he answered, "what… what have I done?"

Rouge had recovered from the kick to her side, and cradled her throbbing ribs. "Leave Shadow alone you bastard!" She shouted, her voice cracking.

Sonic looked over at her, and she at once saw that his eyes had returned to normal. He didn't look at her long. He knelt by Shadow's side and felt bile rise in his throat.

"Shadow… what did I do?"

"Nothing!" The black hedgehog tried vainly to smile. "But I think you were possessed. I don't know."

Sonic felt tears in his eyes. "What have I done to you?"

"Sonic… you can… you can change this!" He wanted to close his eyes. He wanted to sleep. "You can go back in time and stop this from happening."

"How? HOW?"

Shadow's head filled up with black water and he lost his vision in the dark. "Use the emerald that you've got and save Silver. Save your army. Kill Eggman."

Sonic shook his head in dismay. He couldn't do this. "Shadow, holy Gods I'm so sorry I did this to you! I'll take you back to Sally! She can help you!" He started to get his arms under his maimed body, but Shadow hissed dolefully.

"No! Sonic, I'm glad I have known you. When you go back into the past, do not save me."

"What?"

"I want to die, don't you see? This is how I want my life to end. You have to do this one small favor for me."

"No!"

"You must!" He was losing consciousness. He felt the sticky pool of blood growing beneath him. "For me, Sonic. Let me die."

_I want to be with you__…__ Maria__…_

"Shads… I…"

Shadow smirked. "You still won't let that name drop, will you?" A sudden convulsion wracked through him, causing him to arch his back. The pain flared anew. Sonic yelled out. Then Shadow relaxed, and smiled. "Maria…" His whisper hung in the air, and he slowly closed his heavy eyelids. His chest rose for the last time. Then he breathed in no more.

A stark and intimate dismay flashed in Sonic's face. "SHADOW!" He gripped him by the shoulders and shook him lightly at first, all the while crying his name. "Shads! Answer me! Get up!"

The dark hedgehog did not respond to any of Sonic's efforts. He was as limp as a corpse.

Sonic let him go and he covered his face with his hands.

******

TBC

Sonic, it's not the end yet. Make the difference. Or die trying.


	14. Chapter 14 The Future Looks Bright

Dib07: Hi there, so sorry for the long update!!! Thank you soooo much for all the reviews! It's you, the reader and the reviewer that keeps us writers going! Thanks so much! I need your support and your views! It keeps the motor running!

Warning: more character deaths and some verbal abuse. And some gore.

Enclosed disclaimer: this story is merely for fun. All characters belong to SEGA.

Chapter 14: The future looks bright

'_Here we stand.__'__ Mordant__'__s Need __–__ A Man Rides Through __–__ Stephen Donaldson_

'_I__'__ve got the strongest feeling__…'__ A Man Rides Through __–__ Stephen Donaldson_

"No… no…"

It was too much. Sonic was weeping.

He searched for a pulse in Shadow's neck. He couldn't feel anything. Despair filled every living fibre of Sonic's world.

The rain came, as if its forlorn touch was called somehow. Its sharp touch turned the snow into crusty ice, and the flurry of the sudden water drove Robotnik's troops back as if they were hampered by fire. Sonic sat in the rain with Shadow's body in his arms. The water droplets spilled down his azure fur and hit the myriad puddles that had settled in the dimples in the earth.

_You don__'__t understand, Sonic. I had to come back to the past._

_Why?_

_Because Shadow dies._

_Shadow can take care of himself!_

_Retreat!_

_You__'__re not fighting, Sonic? Have you forgotten that there is a war outside? Your war may I add?_

"No…" All was lost. Everything. Nothing mattered anymore.

Sonic looked down at Shadow's face and snapped inwardly at himself not to cry anymore. The dark hedgehog's features were calm in death. His tight expression was gone. He lay limp as though he were asleep and nothing more.

Silver had been right… all along.

Now it was too late.

Though Sonic did not notice, the rain had stopped the fighting. The robots had all but retreated into the snowy valleys as the torrents of water continued. The animals such as the last remaining echidnas, the moles, the rats and the others, stood and watched the enemies slowly vanish. Charmy poised an arrow in the air with his bow and tugged the string loose. The arrow flew into the heavens but there wasn't a foe insight to be within its range. The minks and badgers were rejoicing. Many tired warriors sunk to their knees in relief.

"You've killed him…" Rouge had been steadily weeping the whole time. "How… how could you… you… you MURDERER!"

Her shout jolted Sonic slightly, and he felt his cheeks burn in guilt and shame. "It wasn't me…" He lamely defended in a low whisper, "I didn't do this…" He hugged Shadow close, wishing he would open his eyes. "It was the bugs… mind controlling bugs…"

"You've lost your mind, traitor." Rouge snapped. She opened her wings and she looked quite formidable in the rain. "I'm telling everyone I know of what you did. When I come back, I want Shadow, do you hear?" She leapt into the air like a dark angel, and soared into the grim heavens.

Sonic was only alone with Shadow for a few more moments as the emerald continued to shine beside him. He looked at it in distrust and loathing. He had used it to kill his friend.

_I am a murderer._

Knuckles stepped out of his circle of cadavers and saw Sonic in the rain. His gleeful smile turned into a frown. He couldn't make out whom the hedgehog was holding. He came over to him, ignoring the wet chill of the storm sinking into his warm fur.

"Sonic? What's wrong? Is Shadow okay?"

Sonic was impervious to his calls. He ignored everything, from the aspirating weather to the battle that was no more.

Knuckles came over his him; his haunches held high, his posture tall and erect. Blood had splashed across the white crescent on his chest.

"Sonic?" His voiced sounded flat and dead against the drum of the downpour.

Sonic looked up, but only heard the voices.

'_That reason is being able to protect others with the power that I__'__ve got.__'_

'_Trust me.__'_

'_When you go back into the past, do not save me.__'_

Knuckles had knelt down also, and was examining Shadow with his bandaged paws. For a while he did not say anything. Sonic's arms and legs felt weak and his head was full of air.

Then Knuckles said gravely, "he's dead."

Sonic looked at him with glazed eyes. The echidnas' confirmation only added to the pain, though he had already known.

_I don__'__t think I can make it without Shadow. _He heard himself say this in his head, and maybe it was absurd that he had thought this. It was a selfish way to think.

Knuckles was stiffly facing him. "You have to either leave him, or carry him with you. We can't stay here."

_You can__'__t, but I will._

"We've lost…" Sonic finally managed to utter as his eyes gushed tears, "I should have never started this war."

"You never started anything." Knuckles encouraged, "this is all Eggman's doing, not yours. This war had begun before you were even born, Sonic." His voice sounded like it was about to break, "but we can't mourn here. We have to move!"

"Silver was right!" Sonic cried, "he was right all along! Why didn't I listen?"

Knuckles turned his head away, unable to catch Sonic's gaze. Without speaking any further, he took Shadow into his arms and started off in the direction of safety. Sonic stood on his feet, but it felt more like he was being held up by stilts instead of legs. He took the emerald and dropped it into his backpack.

As he followed Knuckles limply like a child would follow a parent, Sonic kept in pace and stared desolately at the floor.

_But he was the Ultimate Life Form__…__ he was supposed to be immortal!_

"It's not fair…" He murmured before falling into a discomfited silence. His eyes burned, his emerald orbs cupped behind a veil of tears.

***

They must have walked a good mile before coming within the sure vicinity of safety. Sonic just had to grind his knuckles into something, so he pounded his fist into the ground, hard enough to crack bone. Knuckles didn't seem to notice. With a sharpness in his step, he walked on until they came to a small camp. There were no tents, only dead campfires that had long ago gone out. Knuckles at once placed Shadow on the ground and began to dig. Sonic knew what he was doing, so he turned away and sat down on the hard, steel ground. After Knuckles had dug a good few feet deep, he paused to rest. Then he turned to Sonic and said unexpectedly, "I've found another chaos emerald."

This news did nothing for him. Instead the blue hero sighed and morosely shrugged as if it meant nothing to him.

Knuckles took out the blue emerald from his glove and showed it to him. "Cheer up Sonic. This is the best news we've had all week. I found it. I couldn't believe it at first. But we destroyed a robot so powerful, that we didn't realize it harnessed this gem until I stumbled upon it in the beast's debris."

"Leave me alone, Knuckles." His voice was tightly corded, "I don't care what you found. It means nothing. If it could bring Shadow back, I would show it more attention."

Knuckles heaved an impatient sigh. "Sonic, _look _at me."

He did.

The echidna slowly smiled. "It will bring Shadow back. All you have to do, is go back in time, when Silver got here. How did… how did Shadow… die?"

"I.._._"He had to confess it to Knuckles. He had to… But at the same time, he hadn't the guts.

_I beat him to death._

Quickly, and almost rudely, Sonic snatched the emerald from Knuckles. The echidna didn't protest.

"How… how do I use it?" He asked.

"Ask Silver." His conviction was so strong. Sonic wasn't as sure. Time travel was something he had never done before. Silver was the expert on it; even Shadow would have been a better candidate for the attempt.

"Okay." He stood up.

"Sonic?" Knuckles asked as he watched him closely.

"I'm going to see Sal. Don't bury him. I'm gonna save him."

_Fuck what you said to me Shadow. I am not going to let you die._

***

It was Sally who saw it coming first. A troop of rogue robots, unhindered by the rain, were marching strong in their direction. Their tent was right in their very path. The princess tried to keep calm. There would still be time to escape. They had a few minutes.

"Amy," she grabbed her dainty hand, "come with me. We're going to run fast. Grab the communicator and a breathing tank. We're leaving!"

"Why?" She asked so innocently.

She pushed Amy inside the tent. "Robots are coming."

At once Amy's face folded into a look of terror. "Oh my god…"

Silver huffed. "I can take them." He said modestly, "how many are there?"

Sally looked at him sharply, like she often did. "Too many. And you will not try to attack them Silver. All my hard work keeping you alive is not going to go to waste. Now, we're wasting time talking. GO!"

Amy grabbed the things she was told. Silver took his mask and helped her with the tank. Sally grabbed a handgun from the bottom of a blanket that she had kept concealed up into now. Then, all three of them raced out of the tent.

It was too late.

Two scouting robots had already reached them. They stood there, staring at the animals that had left the camp. One stated emotionlessly, '_New targets. Open fire._'

"Get lost!" Silver waved out his gloveless hand and a shot of psychokinesis struck at one of the robots. The silver android fell sharply at the sudden pressure, but Silver still couldn't prevent it rising its jointed arm gun and firing. The spray of bullets hit Amy. She went down in a fountain of blood.

The second android lowered its weapon too, and aimed at the princess. Sally was ready. She aimed her gun, and fired three sharp rounds at the robot's small head. The recoil smashed against the back of her hand, but her aim remained steady after years of practise.

The first shot missed. The second tore into the badnik's neck. The third burst open its skull, shredding metal, screws and circuits.

"Amy!" Silver shouted, his voice mounting to a cry. "No!" He knew there was no point seeing if she was alive. The sea of blood around her was indication enough that she was dead. He couldn't take it. Tears soaked his fur. "NO!"

He ran at the last remaining bot. Sally screamed at him to stop. The robot was frozen by his telekinesis, and at Silver's will, the robot dismantled itself. They had defeated both of the scouts. But the time it had cost them was dire. Behind them, the troop came. Silver spun to face them. He didn't look like a clumsy child anymore. He looked like a warrior, fearless and bold.

He touched the ground with his marked hand and a green wave splashed at the frontline of troops. They froze like the scout. Sally lifted her gun and slammed another round into the ones that were sizzling with green energy. She took them out, one by one.

A robot, that saw no regard for its fallen comrades, lifted its muzzle of a gun and fired. The lazer beam struck Silver in the shoulder. He fell back and hit the floor. Silver's fierce façade had gone. He was back to wheezing, unable to get enough air.

Sally brazenly fired more rounds. Then she had to reload. She bought no spare magazines with her.

She dropped the empty gun and ran over to Silver. The white hedgehog was suffocating.

Before Sally had a chance to do anything, the robots ploughed out their bullets.

The air resounded with bangs and muzzle flashes.

Then, the robots saw that their job was done and marched on.

Both squirrel and hedgehog lay dead.

***

When he returned to the tent, Sonic went inside it and started calling. Where were they? He saw an air tank missing. That meant Sally probably left with Silver. They couldn't have gone very far. Where was there to go? Or maybe Tails had picked them up with his plane? And they had left for Knothole?

No. Sally wouldn't have done that without telling him first.

He went outside, and saw smoke and a jot of ruin about fifty yards from the tent. He started to approach it, the emeralds jangling together in his backpack.

When he got closer to the bloodied area, he started to slow down. There were bodies. And one of them was wearing a red dress…

Sonic was running. As he drew nearer, the less he wanted to look. The less he wanted to see what carnage had wrought.

Then he saw.

Amy.

Sally.

Silver.

He didn't want to look at the bodies, but he saw enough to know that it was them. He turned away, body shaking in anger.

No.

This was impossible. They were supposed to be all right.

It all came out of him at once. The fear, the ire, the hate. "I WILL KILL YOU EGGMAN!"

Sonic went back inside the tent, opened his backpack and started shoving things into it. Tranquilizers. Syringes. A flare gun. All the things he might need when he went back into the past.

_This is it. And I am not going to fail._

He was going to try and save everyone. Who cares if he was cheating death? This was what he had to do.

_It is my duty to protect. To preserve._

Duty. That was what always drove him to be heroic.

He wept bloody tears. His head throbbed from when Shadow threw him to the ground.

He took out the green emerald and left it on the set of flimsy drawers. He didn't need it bring it with him, not after seeing the chaos that it wrought on Shadow.

All he needed was the blue emerald.

_I am ready._

'_When you go back into the past, do not save me.__'_

Sonic stepped out of the tent, oblivious to his kind losing so bitterly that only a few were left and only the Chaotix had made it to the ravine in time.

Sonic gripped the azure gem in his hand and whispered to it, "take me back. Open chaos control and take me to the point in the past when Silver arrived."

Nothing happened.

Sonic sighed and shut his eyes. If Silver had been able to do it…

He concentrated. He drew an image in his mind of the exact point of where he wanted to go. He wanted to be at the foot of the mountain, at the exact time Silver saved him using his powers to stop Sonic being shot from the enemy.

He focused on that precise moment, then stopped.

No, he was doing it wrong. He could not be there…

Because he was already.

He tried again. He had to be at that time, but in another location. Could the emerald do that?

"Please…"

_I need to save them__…_

All of a sudden, Sonic snapped out of existence.

Dib07: Boy ain't this story long! I will be wrapping it up fairly soon. In truth i want this story over and done with so i can start new things.

Hope you enjoyed this half-baked story nevertheless and thanks for all reviews. No flames though please. I will simply ignore them.


	15. Chapter 15 Silver

Chapter 15: Silver

'_I__'__ve got the strongest feeling…__'__ Mordant__'__s Need __–__ A Man Rides Through __–__ Stephen Donaldson_

* * *

Sonic opened his eyes. He was weary at first, and nervous. He felt like he hadn't moved at all. Had the emerald conjured its magic? Or was he still standing near a tent, and not too far from bloodied corpses?

He was in a different place, that was certain. He was standing on a rocky ridge, its tight crevices devoid of ice. It wasn't raining and the thick cloying air foretold of snow.

"Chaos control!" The light voice threw him back to his senses. He looked over his little secluded rocks and saw Silver aiding… himself. There was another Sonic in the throe of the enemy, and as he watched, he saw Silver descend from the air like an angel and confront the blue hero. Their voices were too distant and quiet. He couldn't hear them, but he already knew what was being said.

_It worked…_

The revelation made him feel faint. But at least Silver had found the green emerald. This time, if everything was working right so far, Silver would have found the emerald in an old tent perhaps some 200 years old. Maybe.

"Okay, so what do I do?" He could not get seen by the other Sonic. If he did… he didn't want to think about the consequences.

After a time, the other Sonic and Silver started to argue. Then they broke apart and the past Sonic started to head towards Knuckles. But how was he going to stop Silver from being shot, without being seen?

He scrunched his eyes shut and tried to think up a plan. He had a chaos emerald. That was a start. He discerned Silver head towards Shadow, to obviously tell him that he would die. The whole sense of déjà vu was almost too much for poor Sonic, but he was faintly smiling. He had a chance to set things right.

While things were set into motion, Sonic started to plan. This was his last and only chance. He would not be granted the same opportunity again.

"I need to get Sonic out of the way first." His smile stretched a little further, ignoring the sting from his chapped lips, "I'll have to tranquilize him."

He had to be very careful around Silver and Shadow. They had a greater sense of awareness, and they probably would be able to sense him nearby.

He loaded three syringes. One was colored blue. It had a light dose of tranquilizer. The other two could knock a hedgehog out for a few good hours. Maybe more.

He replaced them back in the pack, loaded the flare gun and hid that and the emerald in his bag. He rose to his feet. In the east, a dark silhouette crested the hill in the afternoon light.

It was Shadow, with his reinforcements.

Sonic watched the Ultimate Life Form jab into the opposition. Then he decided to follow his past self.

It had begun to snow. The thick splendor of white crisp flakes followed the bend of the breeze. One landed on his nose and Sonic stifled a sneeze. He wished his fur were thicker. The cold stabbed right into him, and he felt it more now that he was stationary, when he wasn't fighting.

He watched the battle beneath his small ridge. The hordes of badniks looked gigantic. Their armor shimmered in the afternoon sun, causing a rich glare in Sonic's eyes.

"Okay, right now I would be helping Knuckles out." He swallowed and saw the rings Knuckles was making with the dead robots. They were roaming too far away and Sonic had to break out of his cover to get closer. He did not wish to engage with any enemy especially. He was too tired and too weak from his fight with Shadow, plus the distraction might allow someone from the past to see him.

Carefully, he walked along the ridge, disturbing loose stones as he went. The small rocks bounced down the slight cliff edge, and came to rest in a pile of dust at the bottom. Luckily, everyone was too busy fighting to notice this.

The worn hedgehog paused at times, shivering in the snow, and holding his pounding head. His ears started to ring, and then it faded after a few moments.

Despite the obligations he had to attend, he badly wanted to lie down and sleep. The sky was grey and the snow hurtled down wind like a white hurricane.

Sonic leapt off the end of the ridge and dove into a dot of gorse bushes. He went down to a belly crawl. Still, he hadn't been seen.

"Note to self," he mumbled languidly, "I hate time travel."

He was close now. Silver had joined with his past self and Knuckles. He couldn't pop out a syringe and tranquilize his other now. Not in front of so many.

"Shadow's too far in the center of battle," the young Silver was saying, he was squealing like a girl, "you've got to help me!"

"Help you with what?" His past self answered coldly.

Sonic pressed himself harder to the ground.

_I__'__ve got to distract Silver… _He thought.

Silver continued despite their lack of fervor to aid him. "He'll die! Don't you remember? You need to help me get him to safety!"

Knuckles' voice was low and sly. "Let's not be hasty."

Sonic's ears started ringing again. He hissed in annoyance. How hard had Shadow hit him? Obviously hard enough.

Carefully, while Knuckles and Silver started shouting at each other, Sonic dipped his hand into his bag and took out the flare gun. "I hope this works." He whispered.

There was a squeal of pain when Knuckles hit the psychic in the stomach.

Sonic stroked the trigger and waited. He couldn't see them very well through the tangle of bushes, but that meant they wouldn't be able to see him. They were twenty yards away. Silver was starting to draw away from them. His past self asked for the green emerald. Silver handed it to him without much thought.

Then, "Silver, come back here!"

"Don't!" Snapped the psychic, "I know what I'm doing!"

Sonic lay patiently like a snake lying in wait for its prey. He steadied the flare gun. He aimed.

"Worry about your own self! I don't need anyone!" The young hedgehog started to leave them. As he did, the robot responsible for shooting him in the future, lowered its guns. Silver wasn't even looking at it. He wasn't aware of the danger.

_Fucking stupid hedgehog. _Sonic moaned in his head.

He fired.

As did the robot.

* * *

The flare was a bright glowing purple. At such short range, it hit the android heavily on its neck. This force caused its aim to slip, and when it fired, the bullet streamed over Silver's head, missing him entirely.

Now aware of the danger he was in, the psychic attacked the enemies that were approaching with his own defenses. Sonic slid the gun into the bag and started to crawl away. "Now, the future changes."

The terrible ringing in his ears dimmed, until it faded. The snow stung his back and his bruised spines. _I__'__ve saved you Silver. Thank the heavens._

Once the field had been cleared, he saw Silver standing there, looking about him suspiciously. Sonic gulped and tried to dip into deeper cover. Fortunately for him, Silver was distracted by his past self, and Knuckles.

"What the hell happened?" He heard himself ask, his voice shrill.

Silver shrugged. "I wasn't looking."

"Be more careful!" Knuckles hollered like a mad boar, "or next time you'll be killed!" He hit Silver again. The poor hedgehog started to cry. Sonic chuckled despite himself.

_Serves you right._

"Now, who to see to next?" He asked aloud.

He looked to the bleak horizon as the snow continued to ravage the landscape, turning it hard and frozen. The sun was setting. The unraveling darkness reminded him how sleepy and tired he was. Sonic was so tempted to take a nap. He was safe. Nobody could see him hiding here.

"I just want to close m-my eyes…"

Utterly exhausted, Sonic snapped his eyes shut and fell asleep the instant his head hit the ruddy, cold earth. The snow blew like tendrils into his fur. The dense evening threw up stars into the heavens. If only Sonic had known how dangerous it was to sleep out in the open, exposed to the winter storm.

* * *

When Sonic next woke up, he felt strangely warmer…

His body still wracked with feverish tremors, but the cold winter storm no longer caressed his frame.

"Sonic?" The light voice made him jump to his feet. The sudden action made the blue hero stumble and fall. He was in a small cave. The earth was soft and grainy. The wind hummed enormously outside.

A light was glowing to his near left. It was a stump of wood, fastened to the side of the cave. The tip was alight with flame. The warmth around it soothed his tremors.

When he did not respond to the voice, it came again, louder this time. "Sonic?"

_Stop yelling at me! _But he thought,_ what if I__'__ve been seen? What now?_

He turned and came face to face with Silver the hedgehog.

The time-traveler looked surprised, but he was the same Silver he had always been. Openhearted, vulnerable, dear. His crown of fur on his head curled in all directions. His bright gaze and his face were like birdsong in the spring.

"Sonic? Are you all right?"

He nodded, and felt his muscles ache. _I think I__'__m getting sick. _"What happened?"

"I brought you here. I think you passed out. You look awful, what happened?" He was loading him with questions. Questions he could not answer.

"Where are the others?" Sonic croaked, "what about me…" He stopped short, "where is Knuckles and Shadow?"

"They're either sleeping, or still fighting." He shook his head in bafflement. "Shadow won't listen to me."

Sonic sat up and cradled his head in his hand. His backpack was by his side, and Silver was sitting near him. Out of habit, Sonic searched with his eyes for any wounds on the young hedgehog. He saw nothing.

A bit morosely, Silver drew closer. "I found you in some bushes. I thought I saw something odd today."

At once Sonic babbled, "you didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"No. I know what you did."

Sonic miserably hung his head. "You know?"

Silver nodded. His eyes didn't waver. "I knew because there were two of you. I hid it from the freedom fighters and when it was dark enough, I took you here. It was Knuckles who found this cave for me to sleep in. He patronizes me." He added, sounding more upset.

"Please don't tell anyone," he declared sorely, "nobody can know!"

He nodded again. "I understand. But you mustn't tell me anything either. I know something must have gone horribly wrong though, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"For someone so young, you're quite wise." Sonic said.

This statement seemed to put some pride back into Silver's wellbeing. "Thanks." With one hand, he tried to flatten his long quills. They sprang back up again as soon as he let his hand drop. "You have to stay here and rest. I think you have a fever."

The blue hedgehog shrugged. "I'll be fine." Though he wouldn't be able to do much in the dark anyway. "How long have I slept?"

"An hour, give or take." Suddenly, his pale cheeks flashed red and he added shyly, "I looked in your bag. I couldn't help myself. I saw the flare gun. You used it earlier, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And the syringes? Why do you have them?"

"I can't tell you."

"Oh." The yellow light of the flaming torch reflected in his gold iris', making them glow. He sat still, and they both listened to the wintry storm outside. The mouth of the cave flashed every now and again from the splay of gunfire from the battle. Sonic wondered if they were truly safe here, but if Knuckles had picked the spot, they should be fine. He trusted him.

"You should rest." Silver reminded him, "you don't look well."

Sonic glumly nodded and used his bag as a pillow. Silver lay closely beside him, as if he were insecure about being alone.

Soon, they both drifted off to sleep, while the war waged on.


	16. Chapter 16 Shadow

**Dib07: Hahaha, chucking these chapters out as fast as I can! Internet is being super, super awful, so progress has been extra hard on submitting anything, including replying to messages. No internet is pure torture.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Shadow**

'_His actions will condemn us all!__'__–__ Silver __–__ Sonic the Hedgehog next gen_

* * *

It was the dense morning light that woke Sonic. The stark illumination burned on his eyelids, forcing him to yawn and turn his head to the side. The light came from the cave's mouth. The lips of the opening dripped with icy water, causing the gentle continuos noise of water drips.

Other than that, it was deathly quiet outside.

Sonic remembered where he was and bolted up right. Silver, in the night, had snuggled right up to him, and was thrown awake by Sonic's sudden motion.

"What?" The time-traveler rubbed the sleep from his eyes, before saying out of context, "I hate this time… it's always so _cold_ here."

"Shhh!" Sonic snapped at him. He grew worried. _I__'__ve slept all damn night! What if I__'__ve been killed? Or Shadow? Or Knuckles or anyone?_

He went to get up but he was still weak from last night. He faltered forward and grazed his knee on a lump of stone. Silver groggily went to assist him and together they walked to the mouth of the cave.

Now he knew why this place was safe. The cave was high up, and had been carved into a mountain face. Below them, at least thirty feet below, was the ground.

It was so quiet because the fighting had moved to the south, near the ocean.

"I've got to go out there and help them…" Sonic stated flatly, "what if…"

"They're fine." Silver replied, though he seemed distracted himself, "I tried to talk Shadow out of fighting but we wouldn't listen. Besides, you won't be able to do much. You're not well."

Sonic grunted.

The psychic turned and headed round the cave's entrance. "Come on, I'll find us some breakfast."

The ground near the cave's open mouth and on the ledges was barren of food. All the plants that grew here were thick with nettles, and deadly cliff roses with spikes clung to rocks like leeches. Silver climbed higher up the mountain face, following a sharp ravine just wide enough to allow him to place his feet along it. Sonic hung back; too woozy to walk and balance at the same time, so he went back into the cave and sat against the wall.

"I should have brought some medicine back with me from Sally's tent." He whispered to himself. It might have helped with his fever.

The question was, where did he start from here? What did he have to do? Could he save _all _of them?

"And the bugs…" The mind-controlling insects were apparently everywhere. He didn't even know what one looked like. Shadow didn't need to be saved yet. It wasn't time, or so he thought. Sally's death was a long way off too, unless of course everything was changed now and the future he once knew was replaced by a different one.

"So confusing…" The shivers clustered again. His mind sparked with dizziness. Now he knew why Silver slept so close in the night. Sonic needed the warmth. They both did.

Sleep whispered to him again. And he was so sick.

He unconsciously lay down and rested his head on the soft soil. His head burned. His ears rang. Then darkness engulfed him.

'_You__'__ve opened the door._

_There__'__s darkness there._

_There__'__s nothing._

_But you__'__ve opened the door.__'_

Sonic was running. The valley opened up like a green ocean. He loved to run. He had to do it. He could not stand and wait for things to happen. He liked to take action. It was how he lived.

The mountains rolled up in the distance like spearheads. A gold falcon was gliding on the wind currents above him. His lips twinged into a smile. He ran faster. If you did not run, where would the future be? If you did not run, there would be no action. No beginning. No end.

But this dream was different. Silver was running towards him like before. But he did not ignore Sonic. He stopped, turned and joined Sonic. They ran together over the grassy plain like brothers.

'_You like it here, don__'__t you?__'_Silver asked.

'_Yes.__'_Sonic replied. _'__With all my heart.__'_

'_You can__'__t stay.__'_

'_I know.__'_

The valley floor grew dark up ahead and they ran into a forest. It was a thick, huge forest with no exits. It wasn't long before Sonic lost Silver in the darkness.

'_Silver!__'_

He couldn't find him. He ran, jumping over fallen branches and narrowly avoiding holes in the deep grass. He wanted to stop running, but his legs wouldn't listen to his commands. And then, he fell into a fiery pit.

Sonic was awoken by a swift cry. It sounded like Silver.

He was still in the cave and his face was covered in a film of sweat. He forced himself up and went to the entrance of the cave.

"Silver?" He called.

The white hedgehog bounded up to him, mouth and hands full of wild red berries. "Food!" He cried gaily, while holding out the trophies in his hands.

Sonic took some tentatively and watched Silver stuff his face with fruit. The red fluid oozed and bubbled down his chin ungracefully. It looked like he had taken a violent hit to the face. Sonic wondered if the crimson stains would ever come off his white fur.

He bit into the berries he held and savored the sour flavor. They weren't ripe yet, which was disappointing, but the small succulent snack was greatly welcomed. He could not remember the last time he ate.

Silver passed more to him, and they ate happily until it was all gone. After they were finished, Silver foolishly wiped his red hands on his legs, leaving huge red smears on his thighs. Sonic wiped his hands on a few leaves, then asked, "what do we do for water?"

"The moisture from the berries will have to do." He said. "There's no water here unless you want to spend hours hacking away at the ice in the lake. It's a meter thick."

"Humph." _Nevermind then._

"Like I said before, I hate this time. At least we don't have a winter in the future where I come from. Well, not like this."

Sonic sighed and forced his shaking muscles and joints to relax. "Silver, I need to think of a way to get my past self out of the way. How do I do that?"

He shrugged, which wasn't helpful. "I don't know what you intend to do."

"What if… we see each other?"

Silver looked at him sharply, and his golden orbs looked fierce. "That mustn't happen. If it does… it might cause a time paradox, destroying everything. I wouldn't be sure, but it's the worse that can happen."

"Okay." He went into the cave and slid the straps of the bag over his shoulder. It was heavy, due to the weight of the emerald. "I suggest we move and get things rolling into motion again. I can't believe I'm trying to shape the future into a better picture, but that's the reason you're here, isn't it?"

Silver replied cryptically, "I came to save us all."

It was time to find Shadow, and more importantly himself. He told Silver to watch out for the mind controlling bugs, and they kept close as they carefully descended the mountain face and went in search of the camp Shadow liked to use to rest. Unfortunately, when they arrived, he wasn't there.

"Where to?" Silver was assigned to watch duty. Not only did he have to look out for microscopic bugs, but Knuckles and the gang too.

Sonic took out the blue emerald from his bag. "Silver, take this." He gave it to the time-traveler, hoping that he was doing the right thing, "I want you to throw it into a horde of Eggman's robots."

"Come again?" He raised both his eyeridges. "Are you mad? This… this is a chaos emerald we're talking about!"

"I know, but trust me. Knuckles has to find it, okay?"

"Knuckles?"

Sonic couldn't tolerate his confusion. "Do this for me, then I want you to find somewhere safe and hide. You've done your part."

"What are you going to do?"

Sonic didn't know. "Just do as I say, and watch out for the bugs. Once they take over your mind, there's no going back."

Silver nodded, took the emerald and left reluctantly. Sonic was on his own.

The blue hedgehog kept to the outskirts of the fighting. The feral wind had picked up, but at least it wasn't snowing anymore. He regarded the heavens ominously. There were no rain clouds yet.

He moved swiftly despite his indisposed state. The fever was kept at bay by the wind that cooled his face as he sprinted ahead.

_Shads… where are you?_

But what about Sally? How was he going to save her?

An idea struck him. But he had to do it fast.

He turned in the opposite direction to where he was going and went the other way. Sally's tent was far from the battle. It was located behind some hills, and surrounded by guards that he knew would die later.

He found it easily. Before entering, he hid behind a dead tree, waiting to see if his past self was around.

When it seemed clear, he trotted towards the tent, and entered. The princess turned to him. She was alone in the tent, and he saw a gun resting on an unused bed. He didn't know she had a gun.

"Sal?" He quipped tiredly, "are you okay?"

She nodded faintly. Her sapphire eyes shone from the torches in the tent. "Sonic? You look terrible! Where have you been?" At least she was not suspicious of what he was doing. The past Sonic must not have seen her for sometime.

"Look, I," he hated to avoid her questions, but he needed her to co-operate, "I need you to leave. Contact Tails or your King, I don't care. You're leaving this godforsaken place."

"No!" She brushed some of her thick brunette hair aside. "I'm here to fight and help, as much as you do. You don't order me around Sonic! I am future queen!"

"Exactly! Which is why you need to take your things and go!" His voice cracked in desperation. "Please Sal! Do this for me!"

The princess crossed her arms defiantly. "I choose to stay here. What has gotten into you? I am a freedom fighter too. I will not hide and cower like Eggman himself! What will my people think of me if I do?"

Sonic's pleas weren't working and if he didn't hurry, he would lose Shadow. He tried another tactic. "Give me your communicator!"

Her eyes stayed fixed on his. "Why?"

"Please! I'm gonna find Tails!"

Irritated, Sally unlooped the string from a hook above the bed and revealed the small yellow calling device. She glanced at it for a moment as if rethinking her decision, then she tossed it over at Sonic. He caught it easily. The buttons were tiny. His large fingers struggled to key in the right code, and his feverish shaking didn't help.

An instant later, Tails' meek face popped into the view screen. He looked unharmed, but a little scared. The moment he saw his hero however, a big cheesy grin marred his complexion. "Sonic!"

"Heya pal!" Sonic said thickly, wishing they didn't have to see each other like this. He had to succeed, so that they could live in peace again. "I need you to come over in your plane. I want you near Sal's camp, so you can rescue her when the time comes, okay?"

He saw the fox nod in acquiescent.

"I've got to go now," he added anxiously, "just wait for my message, and I want you to take Sal out of here, even if it means she kicks and screams."

Sally grunted her disapproval.

"Okay! Roger!" The fox did a weak show of a salute. "I'll be careful not to give my position or hers away."

"Good. Over and out." The connection was severed and Sonic slipped the device into his pack.

Sally kept the edge to her stare. "You're crazy."

"I know!" He didn't have time to take any medicine. It was time to save Shadow, and even himself from committing murder.

_I__'__ll deal with my fever when all this is over._

Before Sally had a chance to say goodbye, Sonic boomed out of her tent like a fork of lightening.

* * *

His efforts in saving the future were showing in the fighting. They weren't so close to the brink of defeat. Somehow, saving Silver had saved a lot of his troops morale. He guessed it was because, when Silver was injured, he and Shadow pulled away from the fighting, and that was enough to cause his army to disintegrate. Now however, they were in the throng of battle more. Which was good and bad. Good because they weren't losing. Bad because it caused more stress on the fighters.

He scanned relentlessly, searching for Shadow.

The speed he was traveling made him feel lighter. It pushed back his sickness momentarily. He saw Knuckles making his ring of bodies. He saw Tails in his third plane heading for Sally. He saw the Chaotix. No Shadow.

Then he saw his past self. The blue hedgehog looked a lot healthier than he did. In his hands he was tossing the green chaos emerald. There were no signs of possession. He looked quite natural.

Sonic followed. His past self took him straight to the one he had been searching for. Shadow.

The two hedgehogs stood side by side like long lost brothers. Between them, they talked seriously. The scarlet sky beyond was rich and foreboding. The cries of battle flecked the air like daggers. He saw Shadow take off his bangles.

"No!" He inwardly gasped as he cowered behind a rock, "put them back on!"

Shadow conferred a little longer with Sonic. Then they ran and split up. Now was Sonic's chance to intervene again.

Making sure they had moved on, Sonic ran over to where they had stopped. He saw the gold bangles shining competently in the falling light. He tenderly picked them up and placed those in his bag. Then he took out a syringe with a heavy dosage and gripped it in his palm. This was what he had truly been waiting for.

The fight wasn't so desperate, and the past Shadow and Sonic had kept to the plan they were to have used in the future. They helped their army move into the ravine where it was safer.

Sonic sped quickly, his bag bumping on his spines in a cumbersome rhythm. In the sky, he failed to see Rouge flying in Shadow's direction.

The rain clouds started to build.


	17. Chapter 17 Prophesy

**Chapter 17: Prophesy**

'_What will I become if I don't look back?__'__- Never turn back __–__ Crush 40_

* * *

He found his past self defending a family of badgers. The robots came thickly like hornets. The insignia of Eggman on their shoulders seemed to laugh and jeer mockingly.

Again, he found himself waiting for the perfect moment to strike. All this patience was really starting to anger him.

_Right, I__'__ve done everything haven__'__t I? I have Tails ready to rescue Sally. Silver__'__s safe somewhere… I hope… and now it__'__s Shadow__'__s turn. Have I left anything out?_

Staying hidden, he took out his communicator and signaled for Tails. The fox answered swiftly. He told him to pick up Sally immediately and await further instructions. He nodded and cut the communication.

Satisfied, Sonic returned the communicator to his bag and set his sights on his other. It was time to use the flare gun. It had one round left.

He shuffled forward, aimed and fired at the ground near him, which was very risky. Nevertheless, his past self noticed and came after the sudden disturbance. The fire had pelted into the ground, leaving a large, smoking patch of ruined earth.

Sonic watched him come closer. He had to wait until his back was turned.

"Come on… come on…"

The blue hedgehog with the green emerald almost looked in his direction. Sonic bolted to the floor, hidden behind rough foliage and rocky mounds. His past self looked on for a little longer. He seemed nervous, and for good reason. He was alone, and he too was now aware of the bugs, or so Sonic hoped.

Finally after a good sniff of the air and a vigil to his surroundings, he turned his back to him.

"At last!"

Sonic belted forward like a rocket. He couldn't make a mistake now. Everything had to be perfect. Already he could see his other start to turn towards him.

Sonic dipped into his true speed, and he struck his past self before he could turn to see who it was.

Sonic stuck the end of the needle into his arm, and the drugs were instantly inserted into the bloodstream.

"What the?" The other Sonic struggled violently, "who the hell are you? What are you doing to me?"

He couldn't say anything, least he give himself away. All he did was pray that the tranquilizer would act fast. And it did. The other Sonic started to weaken. His voice slurred as if he were drunk, and his legs threatened to betray him.

"Wha… wha ave you done ta me?"

Sonic smirked, even though he was doing this to himself. _Sweet dreams, pal._

The past Sonic jerked, desperate not to be beaten. He slumped forward and fell to his knees. "The feck is oin' on?" His eyelids drooped and his tongue hung out his mouth. "Wha?" Before he knew it, he was out cold. Now there was only one Sonic.

Quickly and neatly, Sonic dropped the empty syringe, grabbed the ankles of the hedgehog and pulled him up to a lone standing tree. There he covered him with thistles and bits of bushes to conceal him for the time being. He took the green emerald and looked at it darkly. "Not you again." He told it reverently.

Its glow was warm and gentle. It seemed so innocent, but Sonic knew how that could change.

The sky was very dark and menacing. The temperature dropped lower. The rain clouds gathered thickly. Sonic started to make his way to Shadow. As he went, he paused and saw a bug climb over a stone. Its body was beetle green, and its long antennas flicked back and forth like rods.

Sonic grinned and splattered it with his fist. The bug's green guts marked the stone as a sign of its grave. "Ha, you'll be possessing no one today."

Unbeknownst to him, that was the wrong bug.

Meanwhile, Rouge met up with Shadow near the frontline of the enemy. The bio-engineered hedgehog was gasping for breath. He was fought endlessly for days. Around him lay hundreds of badnik carcasses.

"You've… you've got to do better than that… Eggman…"

"Shadow!" He turned. Rouge. The bat landed beside him. She tucked her wings up and out of the way.

"What?"

"Look at you! You've got to retreat! You'll kill yourself!"

* * *

Sonic was running faster. Would he get there in time? A pain lashed through his skull and he had to stop. He braked hard, almost sending himself reeling into darkness. He plastered his sweaty gloves to his temples and cried bitterly. "Ooh!" When all this was over, he was going to sedate himself so that he could have a painless, comfortable sleep.

How was he going to stop Shadow?

"I'll… I'll tell him we have to leave… we'll go…" Go _where?_

This was all too confusing for him now. He fell to his knees in a similar act his past self had done when he had drugged him.

A metal bug zoomed through the air and found its comely target. Its wings snapped shut inside its shell and it fell from the air, straight down Sonic's ear cannel.

Sonic slapped at his ear, feeling a rather distressing itch. The déjà vu hit him, and he stumbled upright. "Oh shits no!" He turned fruitlessly around, rubbing at his left ear. Then he tried shaking his already hurting head, trying to rid himself of the irritation. It was all in vain. His limbs drooped. His legs turned to stone. He couldn't control his own actions.

"It's… it's happening again!" Without the past Sonic, he had unintentionally taken his place to be possessed. History had repeated itself.

Sonic tried to dislodge whatever had gone done his ear cannel. His lips folded tightly over his teeth that suddenly looked sharp and poised for blood.

His eyes faded to a creamy blue shade.

* * *

Her unusual tide of concern made Shadow snarl. "Go home, Rouge. I don't want another corpse under my feet."

"What? So you're just gonna keep fighting? You can't beat Eggman all by yourself, Shadow. That's stupid."

"Maybe, but at least I try."

She paused. Her wings shivered against the cold. "I've managed to make some of the freedom fighters retreat. The ravine's almost within walking distance. You can make it too."

"Oh really?"

"Shadow, if you don't move then…" _A sudden, unseen wind clenched her for a moment._

She turned and saw Sonic standing behind her. "Oh, hello Sonic." She said, "come to fight 'til you drop too? Sonic?" She asked when he did not respond.

Shadow glanced at him with some hint of concern. "Sonic? What are you doing here?"

Sonic rose his blue eyes to meet his ruby ones.

He grinned. His hand powered down on Rouge and the bat fell to the floor. When Shadow came at him like a bullet from a shotgun, Sonic foresaw his move, because he was from the future. Instead of normally sending him into the air as the future had done, Sonic countered by spin-dashing the Ultimate Lifeform. His spines cut neatly into Shadow like a harpoon. The blow was devastating.

Shadow struggled resiliently. His body flared with dark power and suddenly, Sonic remembered that he didn't have the gold bangles on his wrists. His green eyes shone through and he stopped his attack.

Shadow landed in the dirt, blood marked on his white tuft of fur. He sat up and stared at Sonic with unspeakable astonishment.

Rouge cried out pensively, "Shadow, what the hell is going on?"

Shads ignored her. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He roared bitterly.

Sonic didn't speak. He just grinned. The sight unnerved the darker hedgehog.

The blue hero's ear itched and he reached to scratch it. _The bug!_ He thought. _I__'__ve got to get rid of it before I kill him again!_

"Shadow!" He tried to speak through the numbness. He could feel the power growing stronger in his head, threatening to overpower his senses, "Shadow…"

The Ultimate Lifeform got to his feet. "What?"

"I'll…" His eyes went back to blue. "I'll KILL YOU!"

Shadow smirked. "Try it."

They met again. Kicking and punching. Shadow leant away from his main power. He didn't want to hurt Sonic too much. He knew he wasn't himself. Something was wrong.

Sonic rushed into him and dealt a lethal kick into Shadow's chest. The knock reverberated in the hedgehog's ribs. Winded, the Ultimate Lifeform shied away. Sonic gained on his attack, using Shadow's moments of weakness to assail him again.

The storm was right upon them.

Sonic's backpack ripped and tore from his shoulders. It fell and landed on the earth. The green chaos emerald rolled out of it. This didn't hinder Sonic. They dove at each other like pythons. Sonic smacked Shadow in the eye. And in return, Shadow head-butted him, aggravating Sonic's head injury.

The red quilled hedgehog screamed. "SONIC! What are you doing?"

Sonic laughed. He laughed until he was coughing. Blood leaked from his nose, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

Then, without warning, the blue hedgehog turned into a blur and spun into his black nemesis. Shadow boiled with rage.

"CHAOS SPEAR!" The bolts of lightening smashed into Sonic, causing him to be flung back. "What's going on?" Shadow raged, "Why are you attacking me? I'm not your enemy! So stop! Stop it now!"

Spittle and white foam spilled from his mouth. His eyes were hooded. He did not see a white hedgehog coming his way. He was too focused on Sonic.

Then Sonic did something very odd. He clutched his head and started to scream as though he were under attack, which he wasn't. He stumbled to and fro, crying and yelling. He quivered like an invalid. His eyes were fixed shut. Shadow watched and waited. He didn't know what to expect anymore.

After a personal battle it seemed, Sonic was back to his deranged self, and the evil grin spread over his face until it seemed like it would stay that way forever.

Oh how he wanted to _KILL! _He wanted to end all life, but first he had to eliminate Shadow, just as Eggman wanted. Traitors always got what they deserved. Oh yes.

Always.

Sonic shot forward again like a living torpedo. Shadow joined the charge and they smashed into one another.

A bone crushing kick broke Shadow's right arm. But the Ultimate Lifeform did not let him get away with it. He punched Sonic so hard in the jaw that he felt a few of his teeth loosen. Then he delivered an upper kick into Sonic's groin. Frozen with pain, Sonic fell away, whimpering. His green eyes were back.

"Sonic, listen to me! Come to your senses! Can't you see that fighting me is getting you nowhere? I am not your target! Please!" Shadow was tired of this. They were not supposed to be killing each other! This was a war against Eggman! Nothing else!

"Oh stuff your lectures up your anus!" Sonic mocked sourly. He ran up and thumped his fist so severe and tremendously into Shadow's side that the blow burst his kidney. The air was harried with howls of pain.

Rouge was on her toes. "Leave him alone!" She shrieked at Sonic, "what the hell is wrong with you?"

Even evening sky seemed drenched in blood itself.

Seething, the red quilled hedgehog thrust out a wave of dark energy, causing Sonic to fall awkwardly on his chest. Both hedgehogs were bleeding badly.

Sonic dimly opened his blue eyes and saw the green emerald lay but inches from his head. He snatched it up.

Shadow saw too late. "Sonic! NO!"

A lime green film of energy enveloped Sonic, and the emerald fell from his twitching fingers. Silver landed on the floor like a delicate ballerina. The emerald floated from the floor, up to his hand. "Gotcha." He whispered faintly.

"Silver you prick! Look out!"

Sonic leapt onto the white psychic like a puma and got his hands on his throat. "It's just like you to get in the way!"

Though weakened, Shadow threw him off with a rough shove. Silver, gasping, used the emerald to stop Sonic in motion. The blue freedom fighter growled and roared angrily, but he could not move.

Shadow couldn't stay on his feet and he fell from where he stood. Silver looked over at him; shock plain on his face. "Shadow!"

The loss of concentration freed Sonic instantly. He came like an avalanche, quick and hard. He ploughed into Silver, knocking him down, and using his teeth, bit into the child's face.

Silver screeched in utter hysteria.

Shadow's heart tore at the noise and he forced himself up. "Son… please stop this…" His voice was thick and low, bubbling out of the bloody spume in his mouth.

Rogue slammed her heel into the base of Sonic's skull, almost knocking him out. The brief reprieve made Sonic flinch in disdain, and his teeth left Silver's bleeding complexion but he did not let go of him. It was Shadow who ruthlessly kicked him off.

Sonic spun hard in the dirt. And he lay there, and didn't get back up.

Rouge was sobbing hard. Her leg throbbed from the attack.

Silver regained some of his composure and gripped the emerald tightly. He had been ready for this and he wasn't about to give up, even if he could hardly see past the blood in his eyes.

Shadow was lying perfectly still on the floor. His face was white and his eyes were closed.

"Shadow," he gasped, "hold on…"

He looked over at the place where Sonic had fallen. He wasn't there anymore.

Silver felt panic spill over his defenses. He looked around desperately for him. With insecure intentions, he held the emerald close to his chest.

"Stop panicking," he hyperventilated, "you'll find him. He's hurt too. He can't do much…"

He tried to reach out with his mind, find his energy source. His fear clouded his extra sensory perception (ESP).

Sonic came for him from behind. It was his speed that kept him from being detected.

Just before he struck Silver, a memory returned, and his orbs moistened to a soft emerald green.

'_I came to save us all.__'_

"You… you knew about this…" Sonic choked. His gums and hands were bloody. His head felt like it would explode at any moment.

Silver nodded. "And like you said, the people you intent to save, mustn't know." With a good hard whack, he hit Sonic over the head with the emerald. The bug was jarred loose from his ear, and it tumbled out and landed on the snowy earth. Before the bug could flee, Silver crunched it up with his boot.

Sonic leaned into unconsciousness. He fell into a tide of black water.

…The nightmare, was over.

* * *

**Dib07:** Omg these chapters are sooo long!


	18. Chapter 18 Atonement

**Chapter 18: Atonement**

'_And through it all, how could you cry for me?__'__–__ Sleep __–__ My Chemical Romance_

* * *

He could hear the sound of the rain.

He could hear it falling.

It dripped and pounded, but he never felt its cool touch. When he opened his emerald orbs, he could see the rain falling; he could see the dark truculent clouds branching over the sky like a huge black tree. It made everything look dark and irresolute. He lay there gazing, and torpidly blinking as though he were still fixed in a dream. Then he remembered his companion.

"Shadow!" He sat up and new pain flared in his ribs and stomach.

Silver rested a hand on his shoulder. His green blanket of energy kept them dry from the rain. He had been sitting with Sonic all this time, waiting to see if he would wake.

"Sonic, lie down," he instructed him firmly, "you need rest."

"Where's Shadow? Is he okay?" He looked around him. His sight was blurred at the edges.

They were still in the borders of the snowy valley. Eggman's HQ and his dead factories were west of here, approximately ten miles away. Robotnik's forces too were leagues away, and they were losing. Unbeknownst to Sonic, Knuckles had found the blue emerald, and was now using it to aid him in the battle.

"Shadow's fine." His eyes betrayed the lie. "You need to concentrate on getting some rest. You were seriously banged up."

Sonic looked up at him, and saw the crude bandages dotting his muzzle, cheeks and brow. The images of the fight when he had been possessed were still fresh in his mind. He could remember attacking them so very vividly. And he felt very bad.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered to no one in particular, "but I have to see Shadow…"

"No. Not yet. Don't worry 'bout him." His hand guided Sonic back to rest on the hard earth.

'_Use the emerald that you__'__ve got and save Silver. Save your army. Kill Eggman.__' ~_

'_That reason is being able to protect others with the power that I__'__ve got.__' ~_

'_Trust me.__' ~_

'_When you go back into the past, do not save me.__' ~_

Sonic thrust himself forward. His shadow stretched over the coarse, barren ground. Silver tried to stop him, but Sonic pushed him away with the strength that he had left. "No! Leave me alone!"

"But… But you've been badly wounded!"

_I don__'__t care._

In the far distance, he saw Tails' plane hovering like an impending ship over the earth, perhaps hovering thirty feet above it so that he could look around for danger.

Words drifted into his head like a dreamy song.

_I__'__m so sorry! Forgive me! So… so sorry…_

The bandages on Silver's face made him look sad and inconsolable. "Sonic, take your emerald and return to the future." When he saw the blue hero start to object, he continued by saying harshly, "Your past self will be around soon. I don't know how you got rid of him, but whatever you did, he'll be around looking for Shadow. You need to go back to your own time."

"What about yourself?"

"Me?" He shrugged slightly in innocence. "You will see me, in your future. I'll be staying with the princess. Now go."

"What about Shadow?"

Silver said nothing. He just shoved the emerald into Sonic's quivering hands. A spark of lightening in the distance made a stark pattern of brilliant white in the sky before fading back in the dark sky.

Sonic took the emerald bitterly. A cold feeling of doom clenched his innards. Silver was right. Soon that other Sonic would awaken. He had to leave.

Sonic raised the emerald above his head. Silver stepped back.

It was done in an instant, and Sonic returned to his own time.

* * *

Sonic awoke in a thick thorn bush. He struggled to rise on all fours while his mind churned. Getting his thoughts in order was tedious and slow. The emerald was still in his hand.

He got out of the bush and shook the loose thorns free from his spikes.

Now he headed to head to Knothole to find them... that's where they must have surely gone for no one was here.

_I am back in my own time… right?_

He didn't know if his legs could take him all the way to Knothole. What about the war? The fighting?

He walked around near the bush in a feverish trance. Though there was no remains of the backpack, he found Shadow's gold bangles in a pool of melting ice that had turned pink from a residue of blood. He cleaned them off with his fur, then set out for Knothole.

Sonic raced like the wind. He crossed the borders between Rock Falls and the Grasslands. He dashed over a long stretch of valley and it reminded him of the dreams he'd been having. The green ocean. The grass whipping at his ankles. But the desire to see Shadow, the very _need_ to save him, drove him even harder forward. His legs were a blue blur. His teeth rattled in his mouth. For a moment, he felt a sensation close to happiness. This present had been better now that he had changed it, hadn't it?

* * *

Sally Acorn washed her hands and dipped the last of the medical instruments into the antiseptic water. Not a long while ago, Shadow had been their primal enemy. Aside from Eggman, everyone feared him. He was powerful, mysterious and unpredictable. Sonic never worried about him, but Sally always did.

Rouge had come to her like a squawking crow. She explained what had happened. She said Sonic had attacked Shadow without proper reason. So, she grabbed her kit, Rouge wasn't tolerant of questions, and Tails rode her to the hills were the fighting had apparently happened. There she met Silver who had shown her where Shadow lay.

Why should she have helped him? For all she knew, Sonic had fought him simply because he was evil. But the way Rouge and Silver persisted made her rethink her ways, and she had helped him. She was surprised by how gentle he was to touch. How similar in appearance he was to Sonic.

The room she was in was dim and warm. There were no windows, only the sanctuary of complete privacy. Shadow was in a bed, with wires attached over various parts of his anatomy to monitor his vitals.

"That blue bastard." Shadow watched her from the bed, looking incredibly lively for someone who had been beaten to a bloody pulp. His abdomen had been full of blood. His left kidney has ruptured somehow, and the excess blood needed to be drained. Own body already beginning to recover, the internal bleeding had stopped, and Shadow was allowed to rest easy.

"It's not his fault. Eggman did this. All of this." She told him with a limp sigh. "All of this..."

* * *

Sonic had burst into Knothole like a typhoon in high summer. The trees rocked violently. Some of the roots had even edged loose from the earth. Many creatures looked out their windows, thinking that there was danger. Others were more used to these gales from Sonic, and continued with their lives.

He saw Tails and his plane on the airport. Just ahead, on the corner was Sally's Knothole home. He barely spared a few seconds with the fox.

"Where's Shadow?" He asked him.

Tails gaped wordlessly for a few moments like a beached whale. He came to his senses much longer than the hedgehog liked. "With Sally, they took him to the lab, but that was almost an hour ago!"

He rushed on. Rotting leaves swirled in the mist he left behind. Snow flew up in flakes.

He would have gone so sharply into Sal's house that he would have torn off the door. But Amy stood in his path. He stopped just in time by skidding on the snowy floor before coming to a stop directly in front of her face.

"Sonic…" Her voice sounded like the wind. Dry and hollow. "Why did you try to kill Shadow? Rouge told me everything!" Before Sonic could begin to reply, Amy threw herself at him, and hugged him dearly. "Please tell me you did it because Shadow was bad! Because you had to save the world!"

At the sound of her crying, Silver came from inside the house. He was frowning, and evidently looked upset himself.

"Amy, I always save the world!" He replied as truthfully as he could. "You know that! Eggman tries in lots of ways to stop that from happening, but we stopped him, didn't we?"

Amy nodded, but the tears continued to roll down her flushed cheeks. Sonic hugged her back, feeling incredibly guilty. He looked down and saw the blood all over his gloves. The sight of it made him bite his tongue, and he quickly threw them off, leaving his hands bare.

"Oooh Sonic!" She sobbed, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Silver came in between them, and parted them deliberately. Amy yelled out at him and even went so far as it slap him. Silver jerked her hand aside with his fist, lightly, so he didn't hurt her, and said gently, "Sonic needs some time alone. He's hurt."

"He is?" Her anger was replaced with pity and concern. "Well why didn't you say so?"

Sonic smiled grimly; "can I see Shads now?"

"He's not ready." Silver started to go back inside the house. Sonic gingerly followed. Silver was right, again as usual. His ribcage was killing him and he tasted blood in his mouth. Shadow had struck hard; leaving devastating blows that would take a time to heal. His chest in particular ached when he moved too much. He suspected a broken rib or two.

After the sudden adrenaline getting here, weakness clawed up his legs and he struggled to make it up the steps to the front door. His nose was forever assaulted with the smell of his own blood.

Then, he fell, and Silver or someone must have caught him, because he never touched the ground.

* * *

He opened his stiff eyelids and took in a deep breath. He had been dreaming.

He was in his small bed, in his room. He was not in the lab and he definitely wasn't in Space Colony Ark.

Sonic sat up, causing his muscles to burn from the exertion. His room hadn't changed. He still had his car bed, and all sorts of books and gadgets littered the floor.

Yep, definitely home.

He ripped off his covers, stood and felt along the heavy bandages round his head and torso. The gauze went round his ears and was held in place with tape. If he looked in a mirror he was sure he wouldn't look too hot.

He left his untidy room, and headed to the lab.

As he went further along, he saw Tails carrying some equipment, which probably belonged to one of his aircraft. He smiled when their gazes met, but the smile was forced. It was far from genuine.

"Shadow's room is straight down, on the last door to the left."

Sonic started on his way. The corridor he was in felt oppressive and dark with rancor. He hardly ever went into the lab before. It was a place for the sick, the dying. He didn't like the closed walls. He didn't like the rooms that acted more like cages than areas purposely sanctioned off for quarantine. He didn't like the smells that wafted into his senses. Medicine. Antiseptic. Drugs for all ailments.

Before Sonic got to Shadow's door, he felt the need to run. To escape. To recapture the freedom.

He shut his eyes, his blue eyelids shutting away his jade orbs. Eggman's ploys were beyond lethal. And he was disgusted to think that he had been a part of it. He had been taken over so easily.

He opened the door. It was unlocked. And the room inside wasn't dark as he expected it to be. The light shone in from the one window, and a small lamp was lit, standing on the nightstand at an angle. The four corners of the room were packed with machinery and medical equipment. Shadow lay in the medical bed, so wrapped in blankets that it almost hid all his quills.

Sonic shut the door quietly and walked gently up to the bedside. "Shads…" The guilt had always been there, oppressing his mind and spirit. "Shads! Shads I'm here! Wake up!" He found his bare hand under the covers and squeezed it tight. Not even this woke the dark hedgehog up. "I didn't mean it Shads! Answer me!" His world of vision crumbled into a watery scene. The tears felt cold down his flushed cheeks. He wished it had all been a dream. He wished the great battle had never happened. He wished he had never asked Shadow to fight by him. Even now he could hear the gun fire, the rage on the field. The blood… the bodies…

"I was possessed! You should have killed me! You could have stopped me! Shads! I should have done something different… I should have thought through it better. I panicked… and you… you tried to stop me, but I wouldn't stop…" He took in a heavy breath and exhaled slowly. "Shads… I… I failed you…"

"Jeez, Sonic, write a book while you're at it."

Sonic jerked, startled and bewildered. Shadow opened his one eye, and it took time for him to focus, if he could at all. Then he managed a faint smile and he looked across at Sonic.

"I gotta give it to you… Sonic, you fight like an elite!" Without words, Sonic took him into a fierce hug. Shadow moaned painfully, finding that he hadn't the energy to move Sonic off him. "Careful! T-This is fragile m-merchandise!"

Sonic at once let go, feeling terrible again. "Shads… Shads I'm so sorry! What I did was… was… what I did to you was abhorrent. I'm gonna kill Eggman! He's a fucking lunatic!"

"Shhh." Shadow whispered. "It's all right… You couldn't help it…What matters now is that it's over. Funny, I thought I asked you to let me die."

"You did. But I couldn't let you die. Why did you want it so badly?"

"I don't know. I suppose I was so caught up in the fighting... that I just wanted to be with Maria. To die in battle is a great honor, and I thought I'd meet her... a silly fantasy... So why did Silver come to our present?"

Sonic found that he actually had the answer. "I think Silver came to stop me. And stop you. He knew that if you died, I couldn't be stopped. I'd be Eggman's puppet. And the whole world would fold."

"Yeah."

Sonic went about his duty of trying to prompt Shadow to eat. The black hedgehog was barely awake. He was snuggled under the covers with the sunlight streaming thickly into the room. Apparently he had heard someone say that the snow was finally starting to melt outside. An early thaw sounded almost too good to be true.

"How about some sweets?" Sonic had been at this for almost an hour, and Shadow had to physically fight to keep himself conscious.

"No. Now leave me alone."

"Not until you agree to eat something. What did you eat on the Ark? What did Maria give you?" He hated to mention the dead girl's name, but he was so desperate for an answer that didn't start with the word no.

Shadow's ears twitched at the name and both his eyes, including the bruised on, blinked torpidly. "I can't remember…"

Sonic raced to think of something else. He started by saying, "if you don't eat, then we'll have to spoon feed you, and I'm sure you'd hate that. So cut what you think you don't like and eat whatever I bring up, okay?" His light voice was firmer.

The blue hedgehog left the bed and went to open the door. The outside air of the corridor would smell better, as he had yet to get used to the scent of all the medicines and antiseptics.

Just before he went, Shadow called out to him. His voice croaked thinly. "It… it had cheese in…"

Sonic turned and saw Shadow peeping at him from over the covers. "Cheese?"

"Maria had made it for me… and it had something else, but I can't remember…"

Sonic nodded. "Okay. I'll see what I can do." He had a small idea on what it could be.

* * *

While Shadow slept, Sonic saw Silver standing on a snowy ridge looking west of Knothole. He had his hands on his hips and his shoulders were stiff and straight.

Sonic stood close beside him. "When are you planning to return home, Silver?" He asked.

The pale furred hedgehog shrugged. "I don't know. I'm reluctant to return I guess. It's so nice here, but I belong in my own time."

"Well," Sonic patted him on the shoulder; "there's no rush. And thanks."

"For what?"

"For saving me and Shadow. That was a big risk you took, but you did it pal!"

Silver blushed when he turned to face the blue hedgehog. "Thanks." He answered sheepishly. "I hope this is over."

Sonic sighed. "It's never over, so long as Robotnik still lives. But maybe one day, we'll get him. And when we will, we'll kill him."

"Death is too good for that human." Silver looked back to the west like before. "Take care of yourself, Sonic. I've got the emerald. I'll be going home soon."

"Will I ever see you again?"

Silver nodded. "We will. I'll visit you sometime."

Sonic laughed lightly. "Make sure that when you do visit, it's not because something bad happens in our present!"

"I'll try to make sure!" They exchanged handshakes. Silver murmured a last farewell, then he turned and started heading to the west, heading towards a borderline of majestic trees. Sonic watched him leave, hoping that the future would bode well for them both.

* * *

It was early spring, approximately two months after the war with Robotnik. Sonic was running fast down open grassland that stretched on and on. But this was no dream. This was all real.

The harsh wind whipped past his ears and nose. Going at speeds like these created huge wind turbulence, but Sonic's body was used to it.

To the far edge of the grassland was a withered patch of trees. It was once a large forest that was once able to cover twice the size of Knothole, but many of the trees had been brought down for Eggman's armies thirty years ago. But, many young trees were growing in their place. Maybe one day, it would be a large forest once again.

Sonic saw a dark figure standing on a grassy hill two miles from where he was. His black silhouette stood out against the pearl blue sky like a blotch on the landscape. Sonic quickened his pace, and the last two miles he covered in three seconds. He got to the dark silhouette, and he smiled.

Shadow smiled back.

Shadow's right arm was still fastened in a sling. It hadn't healed as fast as the rest of his wounds. But the sling did not make him look any less dangerous. After the battle and its horrendous aftermath, his fur had become a silky fine marble black and his pale face had regained its tanned appeal.

His soft, handsome voice broke Sonic's trance. "What took you? You had me waiting here for two minutes."

Sonic helplessly grinned. "I stopped to pee!"

"Humph! Well, are you ready, Sonic?"

The blue hero came and stood by his side, his eyes sparkling in the evening light. "I'll go easy on you," he said, "what with that arm of yours!"

"I don't use my arms to run."

"Whatever, Shads."

"It's Shadow. SHAD-OW."

"Okay, Shads."

Shadow retained his devilish smile. "You go first Sonic. I'll give you a five second head start."

"What? No way! You might cheat!" His grin couldn't stretch any wider.

"Let's race!"

As the evening light sent warm fiery embers down on the grassy plain, two young hedgehogs bounded down together from a hill and raced side by side across the thick green landscape. Together they stayed close and headed directly towards the horizon dotted with mountains that promised adventure, and more than that, freedom.

**The End**

**XXXXX**

**Dib07:** Yes, finished... completed at last! Hoorah! Man, written this so many, many years ago. Thank the gods my writing has improved!


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